On LeBron James' Game 5 performance

1. Where does LeBron's Game 5 rank among the greatest playoff performances by an individual?

Greg Anthony, ESPN: In sports, it is rare to see a performance that will stay with you forever. I've been involved in some really memorable ones -- unfortunately, more often that not, on the wrong side.

What LeBron James did last night ranks up there with the best we have and will ever see. Before last night, I felt Magic Johnson's championship clincher against the Sixers was the most impressive performance because of the stage and where he was in his career.

But this performance rivals it because there was no cushion for LeBron and he carries the most responsibility by far in the entire league. Plus, no player this young has ever been criticized this much while being so successful. Let's appreciate a performance for the ages by a player who plays well beyond his age!

Henry Abbott, TrueHoop: If he had done it in the NBA Finals, or in an elimination game, this would have to be top 10. As it is, I think you could squeeze it into the top 20, among the best conference finals performances ever.

Chris Broussard, ESPN Mag: LeBron's performance is the seventh-best individual playoff performance of all time. I gave NBA Finals games precedence over Eastern Conference finals.

So No. 1 was Magic's 42-point, 15-board, seven-assist ring-clinching performance sans Kareem and versus Doc and the Sixers as a rookie.

No. 2, Jordan's game-winning shot (and game-winning steal) versus the Jazz in 1998 that capped a 45-point game.

No. 3, Isiah's 43 points (25 in the fourth) while visibly limping on a torn-up ankle in a Game 6 Finals loss to Magic's Lakers.

No. 4, Elgin Baylor's 61-point, 22-rebound gem to lead the Lakers to a Game 5 victory and a 3-2 lead over Boston in the Lakers' first Finals appearance, back in 1962.

No. 5 is Walt Frazier's 36-point, 19-assist showing in Game 7 versus Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain and the rest of the Lakers to clinch the Knicks' first title in 1970. That game is best known for Willis Reed limping out of the tunnel, but Frazier was awesome.

No. 6 is MJ's flu game, when he scored 38 to give the Bulls a 3-2 Finals lead over the Jazz.

LeBron's performance is No. 7, just ahead of Jordan's 35-point first-half (on six treys) in Game 1 of the Finals versus Portland. Jordan's 63 points against Boston was majestic, but it came in a loss in the first round, so LeBron's game last night was better.

John Hollinger, ESPN.com: It cracks the top 10 for sure. Jordan's flu game is still No. 1 in my book, but this blows anything Dwyane Wade did last season out of the water. LeBron last night was Jordanesque -- that's about the highest compliment I can pay.

Chris Sheridan, ESPN: Well, it was truly an epic performance, and with the stakes being what they were, it was riveting to witness. That being said, in the long run it isn't going to negate The Pass To Donyell as the defining moment of this series if the Cavs lose the next two.

Marc Stein, ESPN: On one hand, I can't put it higher than the 18-to-20 range if we're using the nba.com list as a guide, because LeBron's eruption didn't happen in the Finals and doesn't automatically trump the other non-Finals moments in that top 20.

On the other hand, I might be totally crazy. It was TWENTY-FIVE POINTS IN A ROW in crunch time ... from a 22-year-old ... in a game that all but put his team of no-names in the Finals. Can I get back to you?

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"John Hollinger, ESPN.com: It cracks the top 10 for sure. Jordan's flu game is still No. 1 in my book, but this blows anything Dwyane Wade did last season out of the water. LeBron last night was Jordanesque -- that's about the highest compliment I can pay."

Wait a minute -- James' performance was in the Eastern Conference Finals. If James willed the Cavs to win Game 5, Dwyane Wade did much more. Down 0-2 in the NBA Finals, he carried the Miami Heat to 4 straight victories. Four. What Dwade did was better because he scored at will to erase the double digit deficit in the 4th quarter to win it for the Heat. Dwade proved that he can shoot from the outside by attacking the Mavs inside and out, even hitting 3 pointers all over the floor.

People might discredit Dwade and say the Mavs just broke down, but I'm not buying that.

Dwade is better than LeBron.

If the Heat was not riddled with injuries (and if Shaq actually played like Shaq), they would have defended their title.