The Ballad of Ricky-Bobby: LeBron. Kobe. Ricky. Bobby.

The Lakers and Cavs Kobe and LeBron squared off last night. Objectively speaking, is this the greatest show in sports?

RICKY: I say yes. We need to cherish this while Kobe can still keep the talent gap relatively close. Because, once Kobe has dipped even a little bit, we'll be losing the most primitive form of entertainment in sports: two Goliaths raging cosmic war against each other.

We can't forget that this is fleeting. I think this is at least the second season LeBron has been the better player. Kobe is still close enough though, and that gives their matchups that Ali v. Fraser/Manning v. Brady feel. People used to spend so much whining about how Tiger doesn't have a rival; Kobe-LeBron is the type of thing they're looking for. It's a shame they're in different conferences, and they only get to meet twice a season.

But...

That also gives us the chance for them to meet in the Finals, something which absolutely needs to happen this Spring. I was shocked and upset the Magic ruined this for us last year. Goddamn Stan Van Gundy. But I really do think we're on a collision course for Cavs-Lakers this season, which would really be great.

Did you see the game last night? Now imagine that four to seven times in a row with the intensity raised 15 notches.

I'm at the point now where I really never watch every game of the NBA Finals/World Series/Stanley Cup unless a Chicago team is in it, but yeah, I'd watch every second of Kobe-LeBron.

BOBBY: It's weird, I was going to give you this big "Manning/Brady is way better than Kobe/Lebron" speech, but then I read the line: "Now imagine that four to seven times in a row with the intensity raised 15 notches."

I'll do you one better: imagine all of that from the third row. It would be surreal. As a Patriots fan, I might take tickets to see a LeBron/Kobe Game 7 over a Pats/Colts Super Bowl (if it was possible). It would just be too epic and historic to miss.

There really is a case to be made for Manning/Brady, though. I know they don't directly face-off. I know, a few years ago, people seemed to be suffering Pats-Colts media fatigue. But as an avid follower of the rivalry, I can tell you: every single game is awesome.

During the SportsCenter highlight of last night's Lakers-Cavs game, Linda Cohn (I think) said something I've heard a few times, "LeBron has to be in the conversation for best athlete in the world."

That's exactly it. He has to be. I feel like Kobe's game is the complete maximization of basketball skill. Like, if you put a computer chip in Kobe's brain that made his actions on the basketball court more efficient and skillful, you'd see no upgrade in his game. Meanwhile, LeBron's is a lethal mix of pure talent mixed with the aforementioned athleticism mixed with skill. If he had the chip, he could average 60.

Simmons likes to say LeBron hasn't hit his ceiling, which is a dead-on assessment. I'd say LBJ is only at 75 to 85-percent of what he could be. And what he already is is the best basketball player in the world.

Another angle... look at it like a pickup game: who would you want to defend? I would be completely fine giving my all on defense as Kobe drained fadeaway after fadeaway in my face (or, as this defense is often called, The Hinrich). LeBron would burn you to the ground and dunk over your ashes. He's charismatic and has that big smile and lighthearted personality, but he is physical and monstrous on the court. Get out of the way.

So while it's a legit rivalry, and it's awesome, and it's telegenic, I just don't really put Kobe on LeBron's level. Which does sorta diminish it.

Manning and Brady each have varying aspects to their game that make it somewhat of a debate. Fed/Nadal isn't a rivalry because Nadal wins and gets hurt too much. Tiger, sadly, has no rival.

Maybe we just don't know enough about hockey to argue Ovie vs. Sid The Kid...

RICKY: The great thing about Ovechkin/Crosby is that they don't like each other. I'd love to argue that we need more hate in our rivalries, but it obviously takes very special circumstances for two superduperstars to end up really not liking each other these days. In the NBA, all these dudes start playing against each other in AAU when they're 14. They're all bros. But with Ovechkin-Crosby, we hit two key factors: a) they're from different countries, b) one of them - in this case, Ovechkin - is sort of a pompous dick.

Seriously, Ovechkin is so great. This ESPN profile won me over forever. I'd like to imagine that if I were an awesome pro athlete, I'd be just like him.

To your LeBron's only "75 to 85% of the way there" point: that seems to be the consensus, but I wonder if it's accurate, or if that's a case of fans and the media letting their imaginations run wild.

Check out LBJ's career stats. In his second season, when he was 19, he averaged 27/7/7 with 2.2 steals on .470/.350/.750 shooting. Have his numbers really improved? Not by much. He's basically been putting up the exact same stat line now for six straight seasons now.

So, if we really are going to see a massive shift in his numbers, one of two things need to happen: a) a position change, or b) a team change.

I don't think I need to tell you that LeBron could move from wing to power forward or point guard and still be the best player in the league. That's what separates him from Kobe, and really from everyone else, historically. I honestly think he's the best passer in the league (right there with Nash and Paul, at least), and the consensus seems to be that he could turn himself into a devastating post-up player at any point.

Now for the team stuff. I'm shocked we've gotten this far without mentioning the 2K10 Free Agent Apocalypse yet.

How do you feel about this? Do you think LeBron stays or leaves? Do the Bulls have any chance? Simmons and others have cited the Bulls as a logical destination - and it's true, they really are when you factor in market size + Rose + tradition + ect. - but I feel like LeBron-to-the-Bulls has a zero percent chance of happening. I'm perfectly fine with this, by the way. I'd feel guilty. It would be like winning the Mega Millions lottery twice in your life.

I kind of think LeBron is going to stay in CLE, but I'm not so sure he should. That team is just so bad without him. Take a team like the Nets - a team with three wins and on pace to be the worst team in NBA history. The Nets have two guys way better than anyone on the Cavs minus LeBron. If 'Bron ends up there, they could easily jump from like 15 wins to like 65 wins. I mean, really easily. The Cavs would kill to have a foundation like Bro-Pez and Harris. Throw LeBron in that mix (and maybe John Wall!?!?!?! /dies) and they go immediately from worst team ever to potential dynasty. Sports are so weird.

2010 free agency! How do you think that shakes out?

BOBBY: The lesson, as always, AAU ruins everything.

It's really, really easy to picture LeBron wearing another team's jersey, but imagine the process that would lead up to him physically leaving the city of Cleveland. They would be devastated. Did you see the 30 for 30 documentary where Gretzky left Canada? In the even more modern sports world, I see this being even worse. Cleveland would have nothing -- basketball-wise -- if he left.

As for your "the Nets foundation is better than the Cavs" argument, you're totally right. I think this Simmons tweet from last night is even more staggering:

FYI for Laker fans: Kobe's best 4 teammates are also the 3rd, 4th, 5th + 6th players in this game. Please keep remembering this tonight.

It really puts into perspective not only how terrible the Cavs are without him, but just how much more talent the good teams in the NBA actually have. I mean, picture LeBron in the Vince Carter role for the Magic. I know the cap space would never make that work, but that is a team, man. So complete.

The real disappointment here is Shaq. It's easy to say he's old and diminished and it's not his fault, but he's just so fat and bad, and you know if he cared more, he'd be a lot better at basketball. Seriously, watch him on the court. How much of his game is just based on his size as opposed to actual basketball skill? He's bad at, like, everything. I really find this hard to argue. These last two-ish years have really tainted his legacy, in my mind. Why can't he just be better? Imagine if he was better. What a team that could be. Shaq needs the chip.

I obviously can't predict the future, but my gut says LeBron stays in Cleveland. Though I often spend time thinking about how great it would be if he came to the Bulls. LeBron! Bosh! Rose! Other guys!

The idea of LeBron and Bosh as a package deal is sizzling. With the whole same management/Bosh's personality angle, it isn't crazy.

I really understand why superstars don't want to play with other superstars. The whole "I want to win my own ring" thing. It's a little prideful, but sometimes, to be great, you have to think like that. With this in mind, why wouldn't these guys want to play with Derrick Rose? It just makes so much sense to me. He's young, laid back... breezy? If I'm a free agent who actually cares about winning, I go to the Bulls or Clippers -- that's where the talent is. Factor in Donald Sterling, and the Bulls really make a ton of sense for all three dudes -- that includes Wade.

The "Wade coming home" thing feels like stretch. If LeBron left Ohio, the idea of him coming to Illinois is just crazy. Factoring in our proximity to Ohio and taking on MJ's legacy, and it seems downright impossible. I won't say 0%, but I will say 2%. I really hope we could get Bosh. I'm at a point where I'm so starved for an offensive big man, that I'd almost be willing to sacrifice the Bulls team success do to that. Like Jay Cutler to the Bears!

I just hope at least one of the free agents ends up in a new spot. Just for the discussion and projections alone. If all three guys stay on the same team going into next season, the monotony of it all would totally blow.


BobbyStompy is the assistant editor of Tremendous Upside Potential. He can be reached at stompaberdeen [at] aol.com. Follow him on Twitter @bobbystompy.