$14 million streamer Kai Cenat accuses Stephen A. Smith of hating on LeBron James, chooses Lakers star as GOAT over Michael Jordan

LeBron James has been the face of the NBA since he arrived in the league out of high school back in 2003 and has built one of the greatest careers the league has ever seen.

James has put himself in lofty company when it comes to comparing his career against the all-time greats, with today's generation giving "The King" his crown as the GOAT.

One of the biggest figures in today's pop culture, streamer Kai Cenat, has been an avid supporter of LeBron, representing the current generation's perspective on the GOAT debate. He shared his thoughts with Stephen A. Smith, one of the most recognizable faces in all of sports media on ESPN.

On Thursday's episode of "First Take," Cenat made his case for LeBron James to be considered the GOAT to Smith, calling the pundit out for being overly critical of the Lakers superstar.

The result was a debate about how James is covered by the media in today's NBA, where it is almost impossible for players to avoid the cameras that follow them everywhere.

"When it comes to LeBron James, you (Smith) start hating," Cenat argued. "That's how I feel. Because I feel like you're more of an older generation type of dude."

"Michael Jordan ain't never had 50,000 points," said Cenat when arguing James' place amongst the NBA's legends. "LeBron James is 40 years old and he's performing better than half of the people in the league right now."

Cenat's points about LeBron James' play later in his career do have some credibility. Even though he only turned 40 in December, James is already one of the best players at 40 or older the NBA has ever seen.

Combine that with the fact that he was just named the Western Conference Player of the Month, his first in five years, and James' longevity can't be denied.

What more does LeBron James have to do to "catch" Michael Jordan in the GOAT debate?

When Michael Jordan backers are asked what the Lakers forward needs to do to be on equal footing with Jordan, the answer is almost universal: James needs to secure two more championships. LeBron has been to the NBA Finals a jaw-dropping 10 times, but it has only resulted in four championships, one of the larger blemishes on his resume.

LeBron James might be able to make a run at this year's championship after the Lakers traded for Luka Doncic before the trade deadline. This brings together two of the best basketball minds in today's game.

The Lakers have played inspired basketball since acquiring Doncic, climbing all the way to the second seed in the Western Conference, setting themselves up for a deep playoff run.

While the Lakers are playing well, they do have one glaring weakness that could be exposed come playoff time. They lack a proven big man, relying on Jackson Hayes to start at the center position down the stretch of the season.

There are a few players still on the buyout market, including former Laker Mo Bamba, so Los Angeles could still fill out their roster heading into the postseason.