LeBron James looked to set up his teammates as well as take his own shot.

LeBron James has the skills to step into the NBA next year. He probably could have done it this year. He has the size, strength, agility, vision, sense of the game, poise and skill level to become a great player. James demonstrated all of those qualities in the St. Vincent-St. Mary victory over Oak Hill Academy on Thursday night in a nationally televised game on ESPN2.

James showed a patience that is unusual for a 17-year-old. Both he and his team got off to a slow start, falling behind 10-3. Without seeming to force the action, James quickly got his team going with a variety of field goals and spectacular assists. After a closely played first half, James and his teammates gradually broke the game open to end up 20-point winners -- 65-45 -- against a team that is recognized as one of the top scholastic teams in the United States. It was a very impressive performance.

James ended up with 31 points,13 rebounds and six assists. If you weren't keeping stats during the game, you'd be surprised at those numbers because James didn't dominate the ball and always seemed more concerned with getting his teammates involved in the game than getting his own shot. He showed a nice balance of taking what the defense gave him and creating shots for himself and his teammates.

	I see something of Michael Jordan in his complete game, a little Kobe Bryant when he slashes to the hoop and a bit of Magic Johnson when he fires a no-look pass to an open teammate under the hoop.

James demonstrated a nice shooting touch from the perimeter, the ability to slice or power his way to the hoop and marvelous vision of the floor that resulted in on-the-money passes to open teammates. It's hard to evaluate his defensive ability in a game like that, but he has the quickness, footwork and competitiveness to be a good one. I see something of Michael Jordan in his complete game, a little Kobe Bryant when he slashes to the hoop and a bit of Magic Johnson when he fires a no-look pass to an open teammate under the hoop.

And, in spite of those skills, the best thing about James is that he appears to be all about "team." That's a rare quality for a teenage high school athlete who has been the receiver of so much media attention. James has NBA level skills now and I have no doubt that he'll improve even more.

If he elects to enter the 2003 NBA draft, he'll be the first player picked.

Dr. Jack Ramsay, a Hall of Fame coach who won an NBA title with Portland in 1977, is an NBA analyst for ESPN.