How you do it

LeBron James passed Michael Jordan into fourth place on the NBA's all-time scoring list last night, which of course will re-ignite the GOAT debate, and, as dawn follows dark, will no doubt bring the LeBron detractors out of their hidey holes again as well.

(And, yes, the Blob says this knowing it said just the other day that LeBron was a coach killer -- or at least his track record makes it look that way. But generally, the Blob is a favorable-to-LeBron zone, on account of no one who leaves Cleveland comes back to Cleveland, but he did. That will always trump everything else).

Anyway ... the detractors will no doubt seize on how he said passing MJ was as special to him as winning a championship, and say it's more proof he's just a "me" guy. The Blob, however, thinks if there's a way for one icon to eclipse another, LeBron did it about as impeccably as you can.

First of all, the shoes, Money: For the occasion, LeBron donned a pair of Nike LeBron 16s modeled after the Air Jordan III "white cement" shoe, and wrote "Thank you M.J. 23" on the side of them.

Then he was gracious beyond gracious in the postgame.

"For a kid from Akron, Ohio, that needed inspiration and needed some type of positive influence, MJ was that guy for me," James said. "I watched him from afar, wanted to be like MJ, wanted to shoot fadeaways like MJ, wanted to stick my tongue out on dunks like MJ, wanted to wear my sneakers like MJ. I wanted kids to look up to me at some point like MJ and it's just crazy, to be honest. It's beyond crazy."

Of course, the detractors will doubtless seize on that, too, claiming it was all rehearsed and just the consummate politician saying the consummate political thing because he knew the world would be listening.

Sigh.