Are we really doing this again? I guess we are.

The Michael Jordan documentary The Last Dance has inspired Jordan-LeBron James comparisons for the umpteenth time, and on Tuesday morning, ESPN's First Take debated over how James would have fared in Jordan's era.

So you know, it was just another variation of, “Who is better? MJ or LeBron?”

This is a debate that will likely never end. Well, at least not until the next great wing comes along. Remember: before James, the debate was Kobe Bryant vs. Jordan. Heck, going back even further than that, there were even people who were beginning to project Grant Hill as the next Jordan before all of the injuries.

Anyway, let's just focus on the subject at hand.

How would James had performed if he played during the same time as Jordan, and how many championships would he have won?

Well, let's start from an individual perspective.

The fact of the matter is that LeBron would have been a monster in any era. We are talking about a guy who is 6-foot-8, 250 pounds and can do almost anything out on the floor. Yes, he has some deficiencies. He isn't a particularly great perimeter shooter, and defensively, he is wildly inconsistent. But overall, we are talking about a generational, all-time great talent here.

Now, would James have been compromised just a bit by the physical play in the '90s? Sure. Rules are very different in today's game, so guys like Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and Xavier McDaniel couldn't get away with the type of bullying they did on the defensive end in 2020.

As strong and explosive as James is, you would have to be an avid LeBron homer to say that the hand-checking and physicality of the '90s would not have affected him. Would it have made him ineffective? Of course not, but he wouldn't be posting the types of shooting numbers he has throughout his career.

But don't be silly: overall, James would still be one of the best players in the NBA and would likely be averaging somewhere in the neighborhood of 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds per game.

Now…in terms of how many titles he would have won? That completely depends on what team he played for.

Put James on the Utah Jazz with Karl Malone and John Stockton, and suddenly, the Jazz have a chance of beating Jordan's Chicago Bulls in back-to-back years in 1997 and 1998 rather than falling to Jordan both times.

But put James on the Milwaukee Bucks or the New Jersey Nets, and he isn't winning much of anything.

Teammates matter, which is something LeBron himself can attest to after not capturing any rings until he linked up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami.

But let's say all things are equal. Let's say James was playing on a team every bit as talented as Jordan's Bulls. Sorry, but he isn't beating Jordan.

I think people tend to forget how many all-time greats couldn't win titles in the '90s because of Jordan.

Malone. Stockton. Patrick Ewing. Charles Barkley. Heck, Clyde Drexler lost to MJ's Bulls as a member of the Portland Trail Blazers in 1991 and only won a championship with Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets in 1995 when an out-of-shape Jordan came back from retirement late that season.

I find it hard to believe that James would have been any different, especially given that this is the same LeBron James that was rocked by the Dallas Mavericks in six games in the 2011 NBA Finals in spite of playing alongside a prime Wade and Bosh.

James is a top 10 player of all-time, but Jordan is the GOAT.

Adjusting for eras is difficult, because the style was different, the rules were different and you have to take into account where James would have actually been playing.

There are so many factors to take into consideration that it makes the question somewhat of a moot one, but at its core, it's really just a crafty way of comparing LeBron to Michael. Again.

Young fans who didn't see Jordan or weren't old enough to have actually paid attention during his playing days will side with LeBron. Other older fans will swear by Bill Russell. Some even Wilt Chamberlain. Then you have '80s fans who say that prime Larry Bird was the best player who ever lived.

And everyone is entitled to their opinion. But you know, opinions can be wrong.

Michael Jordan is the greatest player of all-time, and any star player from today's game would have had a much more difficult road to a ring had they played during Jordan's reign.