LeBron James Joins Michael Jordan in Rare Successive NBA, Olympics Basketball Titles after 2012 Gold Medal (VIDEOS)

The year 2012 is definitely the year for LeBron James, and his performance at the London Summer Olympics only solidifies the rivalry between him and legend Michael Jordan.

For several years, comparisons have been made between James and Jordan, the difference maker however is James never won an NBA championship. That changed this year on June 21 when James and the Miami Heat won the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

For the 2011-2012 NBA season, James was named MVP and NBA Finals' MVP, and the addition of the Olympic gold medal puts him in the rare distinction as Jordan who also won both MVP titles, an NBA championship, and Olympic gold medal in 1992.

Both men competed during their respective Olympic careers under the "Dream Team" moniker. For James and his fellow 2012 Olympic basketball teammates, they were set to perform better than the 1992 Dream Team that featured Jordan, Charles Barkley, Karl Malone, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Patrick Ewing, to name a few.

The 1992 Dream Team was the first time NBA professionals were allowed to participate at the Olympics, therefore it saw Team USA dominate each game during the Barcelona Summer Olympics.

For James, the 2012 Olympic victory is another step of redemption after Team USA's poor performance at the 2004 Athens Summer Olympics where they won bronze. The Athens Games was James' first time participating in the Olympics.

Team USA Coach Mike Krzyzewski said about James' latest achievement, "I've been with LeBron since 2006. I've seen him grow, he is the best player. We have developed a close bond as I rely on him to be this player for me, and he is. I love my relationship with him."

Of course, James has a long way to go to catch up to the number of times Jordan won an NBA championship (six times) and MVP titles (five MVP and six MVP Finals titles). He already ties the number of gold medals Jordan won at the Olympics, with two (1984 and 1992), and is likely to be at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Summer Olympics, he'll be 31-years-old, compared to Kobe Bryant who at 33-years-old says he'll retire from future Olympic games.