Time is a thief that can rob you of youth before you realize it. That is the case for all of us ... except if your name is LeBron James. 

James, 41, is and is entering his 24th season in the NBA. When James' new team -- the 76ers -- plays its season opener on Tuesday night against the reigning champion Knicks at Madison Square Garden, it will be nearly 23 years to the day since James stepped on the floor in Sacramento to play in his first regular-season NBA game. 

I first wrote about James in the fall of 2003, when I was an 18-year-old high schooler in Ohio. As a college sophomore, I wrote about him again in 2006. Like many to come over the following years, the focus of that story was about whether James could one day surpass Michael Jordan, the sports icon of my childhood. 

And now here we are, two decades later. Like James, I am 41, a father and have been bitten by the golf bug. That's where comparisons between James and I end. But the comparisons between James and Jordan? As the past 20 years have shown us, they're not going anywhere.

James' unprecedented longevity

Long ago, James answered the question as to whether or not he could live up to his unprecedented hype. He has, 10 times over. 

His laundry list of accomplishments includes four NBA titles (with three different franchises), four league MVPs, playing in an unfathomable eight straight Finals, being part of the NBA's first father-son duo, and being the catalyst behind the greatest comeback in NBA Finals history.

From a longevity standpoint, James stands alone. He is the NBA's all-time leader in points and games played. He is the charter member of the 40K/10K/10K club (40,000 career points, 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists). 

Ironically, James' most famous play is not a basket, rebound or an assist. It's his block that helped end Cleveland's 52-year title drought. 

And he's still playing at a high level. He finished sixth in the MVP voting during his age-40 season. Last year, James led the Lakers to playoff series win after injuries sidelined Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves. James is ranked No. 19 on CBS Sports' list of the top 100 players entering the new season. The only NBA player who can remotely compare to James in terms of longevity is Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was still a quality starting center when he won his last two NBA titles at ages 40 and 41. 

Where the Jordan vs. LeBron debate stands now

There is usually a generational divide when it comes to the James-Jordan debate. 

NBA fans who watched the Jordan era usually struggle to hand away the crown to James or to anyone else. We believe that we saw the greatest player who played the game at a level that had never been seen before and will never be seen again. Watching Jordan was just ... different. Otherworldly, even. 

Allen Iverson may have said it best during his Hall of Fame induction speech: "I remember the first time I played against him. I walked out on the court, I looked at him and for the first time in my life, a human being didn't look real to me." 

It's more than that, though. Jordan had more "moments" that any athlete in history. There's the 63-point game in Boston in '86, the slam dunk titles (back when that mattered), the game-winning shot in Cleveland in '89, the jaw-dropping layup in the '91 Finals, the 35-point first half points in the '92 Finals, the 55-point performance in the '93 Finals, his first championship after baseball and the tragic death of his father, the Flu Game, and my personal favorite, his 45-point performance in the '98 Finals that was punctuated by his title-clinching shot. 

Jordan wasn't just superhuman, so was his team, the Chicago Bulls, who ran the NBA for the majority of the '90s. 

No one knows this better than James, who was one of the millions of kids back then who grew up idolizing Jordan. To James' credit, he seems at peace with his legacy, both on and off the court, and he should. He doesn't need to prove anything to anyone. He really never did, but his drive to do so undoubtedly helped make him what he is today. 

Why a fifth title could push LeBron past MJ

For the younger generations, James is their Jordan. But for those of us who remember Jordan and still refer to him as the GOAT, even we will have to concede that unofficial title to James if he -- at 42 years old -- wins a fifth title with a fourth franchise that hasn't won it all since 1983, the year before James' birth. 

James won't take solace in winning one playoff series in Philly. He said as much during the 76ers' media day. 

"I didn't leave my family to lose in the second round," he said. "I know that for sure."  

It's a good thing James feels that way, because if he is going to definitively pass Jordan as the greatest of all-time, it'll take more than just winning a playoff series or two. It will take him and the 76ers winning it all. 

James would still be one championship behind Jordan, of course. But five championships with four different franchises, plus the unprecedented longevity, would make James' GOAT case as strong as it's ever been.

The debates James and Jordan will likely never end, but the 2026-27 season gives James the best chance to add to his GOAT case that he's had in quite some time.