Time for LeBron to Make a Change?

That's not "watch" as in "timepiece," although the clock is ticking for the NBA's premier player.

His 2009-10 season over after a 4-2 Eastern Conference Semifinals loss to Boston, Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James can opt out of his contract this summer and become a free agent. And with all due respect to the Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Boston Celtics and Orlando Magic, awaiting LeBron's next move is the most intriguing thing the NBA has going on right now.

(By the way, I'm thinking, wishfully, Suns vs. Magic in the NBA Finals).

So why, exactly, is the clock ticking for LeBron?

True, the guy's not even 26 yet, but he just completed his seventh season in the NBA. He's at the top of his game, having won back-to-back NBA MVP awards, but you don't think that's all he wants, do you?

LeBron is chasing history.

He wants to be like Mike.

Or rather, he wants to be better than Mike.

Think Tiger Woods chasing Jack Nicklaus for the title "Best PGA Tour Golfer to Ever Live." Such is James' quest in the NBA.

His talent is undeniable, and his ability to take over a game is impressive. It's not Jordanesque quite yet, but still impressive. James certainly has the all-around game to surpass Jordan - someday, perhaps - as the best ever, but what he doesn't have are the things he needs most if he hopes to ever be compared with MJ: titles.

Lots of titles.

Jordan nabbed his first NBA championship with the Chicago Bulls in his seventh season in the league. He went on to win five more, and it probably would've been six more had he not left the game for the 1993-94 season to play baseball.

Basketball is a team game, of course, but everyone - even his teammates - knew that those titles were Jordan's. He regularly elevated his game to meet the challenge, and he regularly made his teammates - aka, his supporting cast - better.

James has the ability to take over a game and elevate his own play, but he doesn't yet have Jordan's ability to do it on demand, every time.

Sure, LeBron gave a heroic performance in Game 6 against the Boston Celtics - 27 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists - but his impressive triple-double was nearly a less-impressive quadruple-double, as he also had nine turnovers in the game. And it was his un-LaBron-like Game 5 - 15 points on 3-of-14 field-goal shooting - that helped Boston seize the series lead and all the momentum.

So LBJ isn't quite at MJ's level, nor is he even meeting his own expectations just yet.

But it's tough to put all the blame for that on James.

Often overlooked about Jordan's illustrious career is the fact that his "supporting cast" was often much more than that. Scottie Pippen played second fiddle to MJ, but he was a star in his own right. The Bulls regularly had blue-collar big men who hustled, rebounded, blocked shots, clogged up the middle and were just fine with not scoring a lot - think Dennis Rodman, Horace Grant and Bill Cartwright. And they regularly had players who could take a pass after Jordan drew a double-team and knock down crucial three-pointers - think John Paxson, Steve Kerr and Toni Kukoc.

And, oh yeah, there was that Phil Jackson guy. And Tex Winter, the guru of the triangle offense.

Jordan understood the concept of, if you want to be the best, surround yourself with the best.

The best in support, that is.

It's this concept that could cause James to start thinking real hard about leaving Cleveland and testing the free-agent market. I'm sure on some level, James would love to play out his career in Cleveland, his home state, and turn the Cavs into a powerhouse the way Jordan did the Bulls.

But are his title hopes better hinged on a big-market franchise, a la the New York Knicks? Or the Bulls themselves? A franchise that can bring in all of the appropriate support while at the same time paying James the money a superstar expects to get paid?

Time will tell. But if James wants to really start pursuing Jordan's legend, there's not a lot of that to waste.

Sources:
Michael Jordan bio, NBA.com
LeBron James bio, NBA.com