Two of the Association?s super sophomores and marquee talents were on display Thursday night in Miami, as King LeBron James? Cleveland Cavaliers squared off with Dwyane Wade and the Eastern Conference-leading Heat.

 It?s a shame, however, that no one was paying any attention to what very well could be the NBA?s next big rivalry.

 While the entire sporting world, it seems, is wrapped up in Super Bowl hysteria ? the Super Bowl is the only time of year, of course, when over-rated, over-glamorized big-mouths like Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver Freddie Mitchell can receive any kind of substantial press whatsoever ? and the Phil Jackson sweepstakes, the LeBron/Wade matchup essentially flew under the radar screen.

 Undeservedly so.

 Forget Lebron/?Melo.  Never mind Shaq/Kobe.   LeBron and the man they call 'Flash' is the marquee one-on-one rivalry the NBA should be marketing now and for the next ten-plus years.   No premature, over-hyped media creations.  No ?Days of our Lives,? soap opera-like storylines.  Just great basketball by two unique talents.

 What is there not to like about the James/Wade budding rivalry?  

 Both are second-year sensations who are enjoying MVP-like seasons (Cleveland, in large part due to James, is in the thick of the Eastern playoff race, while Wade, along with the addition of O?Neal in the off-season, has the Heat atop the conference).  Both are incredibly athletic (James, the king of the highlight-reel dunk) and explosive (Wade will break your ankles with his patented killer-crossover).  

 However, what separates James and Wade from the rest of the league?s young guns is their versatility.  

 Granted, both can score and score at will, but James and Wade are more than scorers.  In fact, it is the duo?s unselfishness and uncanny court awareness that has them destined for all-time NBA greatness.

 While James ranks sixth in league scoring at 25.1 points per game and Wade ninth at 23.7, both have a pass-first, shoot-second mentality that so few stars, especially young ones, display in today?s style-over-substance NBA.  

 LeBron, who along with Wade is tied for fourth in the league in assists with 7.5 per game, possesses Magic Johnson-like court vision - if you?re open out on the floor at any given time, he?ll find you - while Wade excels at penetrating the lane and dishing out to open teammates.   Although the duo has been in the limelight all season long, both James and Wade remain very humble and team-oriented, and are not necessarily in search of the spotlight.

 And then, of course, were their respective performances Thursday night, a 100-88 Heat victory.

 LeBron was vintage LeBron, winning the battle and finishing with game-highs of 31 points and 10 assists on 11-of-23 shooting, including a thunderous dunk over Heat guard Damon Jones near the end of the third quarter on a 2-on-1 setup from point guard Jeff McInnis.  But Wade quietly won the war (now 4-2 versus James in six career meetings), finishing with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting and five rebounds, but played a vital role in the win, scoring 14 of his 20 points in the second half.  

 As great as LeBron is, however (let?s just go out on a limb here and say there hasn?t been anyone like him to enter the league ever), he needs help.  Unlike Wade, who has benefited tremendously from Shaq?s presence in the low post, James needs a better supporting cast around him to succeed.

 With the loss, Cleveland dropped to 26-19 on the year and still currently sits fourth in the conference, but if LeBron cannot receive some secondary scoring help from his teammates, a prolonged playoff run appears unlikely.

 Center Zydrunas Ilgauskas, a free-agent-to-be at season?s end, chipped in with 23 points and is a nice piece to compliment James, but no other Cavalier finished with more than 13 points.  

 Drew Gooden, who finished with 10 points and 12 rebounds for his sixth consecutive double-double, has been a nice pickup following the departure of Carlos Boozer to Utah in the off-season, but he can?t be counted on as a scoring threat night in, night out.  McInnis, another potential free agent at season?s end, provides stable floor leadership, but again is not a dependable scorer.  After that, Cleveland?s roster is filled with role players who aren?t counted on to do much, if any, scoring.

 Cavs general manager Jim Paxson will be hard pressed to acquire some much-needed scoring, especially perimeter scoring ? Cleveland ranks 27th in the NBA in 3-point shooting - before the deadline if Cleveland is to escape the first round of the playoffs ? something the franchise has not been able to accomplish since the 1992-93 season.  But with LeBron as the face of the franchise, Cleveland has a bright future if surrounded by a strong supporting cast.  

 So do NBA fans, as there clearly is a new rivalry in the making between two young stars.

 Now if only more people out there, especially in the media, could realize it.