Quick, what's your answer going to be when you're asked 10 years from now who the world's best basketball player was on the day Barack Obama took office?

Just a name, please. No explanation. Don't qualify it. It's a pure question, one I won't allow you to pollute with your wild theories over who the best player to build a team around on Mars would be. Keep it simple here. Understanding that it's not as clear cut as asking who the world's best cellist just to hear you say Yo-yo Ma, I know there will be varying opinions.

Got your response?

It's LeBron James, isn't it? Good.

Those of you who disagree are wrong.

Hours before the 44th President of the United States was sworn in, a game at Staples Center provided one final showcase for those stragglers among you who couldn't make up their minds. James and Kobe Bryant, the leading candidates in this debate, delivered performances that did little to supply any clear answers.

Both did their best to involve teammates, really got the best of the other on a few occasions, and by and large looked the part of best players on the planet. Bryant persevered through a first-quarter finger sprain he said was the worst pain he's ever played through. James got beat up as the Lakers sent multiple bodies at him to make sure he didn't find a rhythm, playing with a physicality Phil Jackson would like to see more of.

Forget the result, a 105-88 L.A. win.

Look past Bryant's two gorgeous jumpers, one a turnaround and the other fall-away, with James draped all over him. They were nice, but not proof of what it takes to be best on Day No. 1 of the Obama era.

See, Bryant is next in line in the Jordan mold. He's lived up to being worthy of being mentioned with the greatest, but the fact he's compared to His Airness constantly and can never really hope to surpass such lofty status has made him vulnerable to losing his own era's throne.

LeBron is something we've never seen before. He's part of this era of change.

A play from Monday night that captures what he brings to the table also came in the fourth quarter, where guarding Bryant one-on-one, James altered a shot, recovered possession, darted down the floor with the speed of a point guard, kicked out to an open shooter once he got in the lane, rebounded a miss and wound up on the floor after a missed putback.

No one said change was graceful.

It's come as a cross between Ron Artest and Magic Johnson on Karl Malone's frame.

James is the only answer to our little riddle because he transcends everything we thought we knew about what it took to dominate this game. Now that he's learned to come out and impose his will on both sides of the ball, the league is collectively shuddering.

At some point, probably soon, there's going to come a point where it's simply impossible to resist his will in a series. That's when we'll know for sure the future has arrived.

Technically, though, he's already here and reigning.

As far as these rankings go, the answer to the trivia question of what team had the best record when Obama was sworn in will forever be held by this week's No. 1 team. That's fact. At 33-8, Orlando owns the NBA's only winning percentage currently over .800. Coming off a week where they toppled the Spurs, Lakers and Nuggets, Dwight Howard and Co. will no doubt be thrilled to own the distinction.

This week's Power rankings:

1. Orlando - Anthony Johnson hasn't shot the ball well this season, one of the few Magic players who hasn't, but the intangibles he's brought to the squad have been invaluable. From veteran leadership to a calming influence, the College of Charleston legend has been a key pickup.

2. L.A. Lakers - Trevor Ariza's continued improvement is becoming a major x-factor for the Lakers, who basically got a sixth starter from Orlando in exchanged for a specialist, 6-foot-10 sniper Brian Cook. The more confidence Ariza gets, particularly in his outside shot, the more formidable L.A. becomes.

3. Cleveland - With Delonte West out for a significant period, it's time for Sasha Pavlovic to start earning the paycheck he so longed for last season. When he gets it going, Pavlovic can be a capable shadow defender and offensive threat, which should be enough to keep the Cavs in the race for the East's top record come March and April.

4. Boston - The Celtics have really missed Kendrick Perkins, but his absence may actually be a good thing. For starters, it's gotten Leon Powe and Glen Davis some more valuable experience, and most important, it's shown Danny Ainge how vital it is for him to add another big man to aid Boston's repeat bid.

5. San Antonio - Matt Bonner has at least temporarily lost his 3-point percentage lead to Golden State rookie Anthony Morrow on Monday, but still deserves to be among the field for All-Star Weekend's 3-point shootout given how valuable he's been, serving as a major contributor in why we're not hearing too much about the Spurs being washed up this season.

6. Houston - Yao Ming has been playing out of his mind of late. If he really is angry about T-Mac taking his me-time these days, at least he's channeling it well.

7. Denver - Chris Andersen has more than made up for the offseason departure of Eduardo Najera, giving the Nuggets the hustle-inducing presence that has been the difference between a number of wins and losses already this season.

8. New Orleans - Bringing in Antonio Daniels was a brilliantly subtle improvement, but Jeff Bower better have a few more tricks up his sleeve to improve the Bees' frontcourt depth if this team is to be taken seriously as a title contender.

9. Portland - Greg Oden missed a dunk in his career night against the Bucks on Monday night, and you can see just how hard he can be on himself. He shook it off and remained active, though, which is all Portland wants to see from him from a growth standpoint. Well, that and avoiding silly fouls.

10. Phoenix - TNT's Chris Webber dropping knowledge and doing his best to fill the big Chuck void: "It's sad when a 7-foot, 36-year old, 400-pound man is the best player on your team. Shaq's playing that way." Every word soaked with truth. OK, Diesel is probably closer to 375, but other than that...

11. Dallas - Rick Carlisle wasted no time throwing Ryan Hollins and Matt Carroll in the fire, getting them into the second quarter of their first game in uniform. Both should make positive impacts, as Hollins will likely emerge as Erick Dampier's primary backup while Carroll is counted on for a consistent shooting stroke off the bench.

12. Utah - Wasn't too long ago that people thought Andrei Kirilenko had reached his breaking point and he'd be back with CSKA Moscow in his native Russia. Instead, because of persistent injuries to the Jazz up front, AK-47 has displayed a form rarely seen from him since Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer got to town. He's looking really confident and comfortable again.

13. Detroit - Jason Maxiell is getting playing time again after a couple of DNPs, which moves Amir Johnson back out of the rotation. Now that that crucial decision is made, Michael Curry has to move either Rip Hamilton or Allen Iverson to the bench and then he's all set. Don't be too shocked when it's A.I.

14. Atlanta - Josh Smith probably won't make the All-Star Game this season, but there's no question he should earn widespread consideration. Atlanta was lost without him when he was injured, and he's been the glue keeping things together while fallen teammates mend ever since he's been back.

15. Philadelphia - Who would've thought that Elton Brand's return and how he winds up fitting in with the Sixers would become the biggest story on the Philadelphia sports scene this weekend? Sorry for piling on, Eagles fans. It figures to be a long next couple of weeks.

16. Miami - Don't be surprised to see Alonzo Mourning back in a Heat uniform this season. As long as he can get back in time to make the playoff roster, Mourning would love to get back for one last run and wash away the memory of needing assistance off the floor of his final professional game.

17. Minnesota - Randy Foye has thrown his name in the Most Improved mix during the Timberwolves' recent run, dependably providing points and assists to help get his team the first pulse they've had since before Kevin Garnett started crying after games.

18. Milwaukee - Joe Alexander lost out on an opportunity to increase his appeal in the slam dunk contest, but to many folks around the league, he's already appealing enough. Rumors that he was available had the league's bargain hunters sniffing around for a way to add the rookie project. He'll be a good one down the road. The Bucks know that, too, and aren't biting.

19. New Jersey - Ryan Anderson joining Brook Lopez in the starting lineup isn't what the Nets envisioned entering the season, but the fact both rookies are surpassing early expectations on a team that would currently make the playoffs can't be viewed as anything other than a positive.

20. Charlotte - With visions of a postseason dancing in their heads, it's got to be scary for Bobcats fans to think their aspirations may hinge on improved bench play, which goes hand in hand with DeSagana Diop and Sean May getting in shape and Adam Morrison becoming a steady scorer.

Rest of the pack: 21. Indiana, 22. New York, 23. Chicago, 24. Golden State, 25. Toronto, 26. Sacramento, 27. Oklahoma City, 28. Memphis, 29. Washington, 30. L.A. Clippers.

Tony Mejia is senior writer of Pro Basketball News. He can be reached at mejia@probasketballnews.com.