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Lebron James and Kevin Durant are two of the biggest stars in the NBA at present. When it comes to player rivalries of today, James versus Durant is a big one and has the potential to grow into one of the best the league has to offer since Magic versus Bird.
Both of these players are stars of their respective teams. Lebron currently plays for the Los Angeles Lakers and is often considered the best basketball player in the world and regarded by some as the greatest player of all time whereas Durant plies his trade for the Golden State Warriors and has won back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018.
Over the last five years or so, there’s been a huge ongoing debate about who is better, Durant or James. Without further ado let’s compare the careers of these two phenomenal players.
#1 Scoring
Durant is one of the best shooters in NBA history, he has won four scoring titles, only four other players have accomplished such feat. He is also an elite free throw shooter with 88%, which is really impressive along with his great jump shooting skills.
Durant's ability to knock down three-pointers with 38% as a seven footer makes him a pure shooter who can easily score from any available position. Mid-range, 3pt, you name it, the 'Durantula' has it all in his arsenal.
LeBron is great at finishing with both hands and is one of the most explosive dunkers ever, and a master in the post. LeBron has always thrived off his strength and is one of the most dominant scorers.
LeBron scores a lot of his points from close range, driving past defenders. His shooting is pretty good from mid-range and decent from beyond the arc. He is not as good as Durant when it comes to scoring free throws and three-pointers with 34% and 74% respectively. Although his field goal shooting is 50%, which is slightly higher than KD's 49%.
Kevin can shoot from almost anywhere on the court, and he can give you 30 points every single night. Kevin Durant edges past LBJ as a better scorer in the league. He is an offensive monster.
Also check out: Lebron James’ Finals Appearances and stats
#2 Rebounding
LeBron James is considered as one of the greatest rebounders of the modern era. He is able to rack up rebounding stats with ease. LeBron is bigger and his wide body allows him to get the ball easily. He averages about 7.4 rebounds per game, which is not as easy as it sounds. LeBron's career high in rebounds is a score of 19.
Kevin Durant is a good rebounder as well, he averages about 7.2 rebounds per game and his career high is grabbing 17. He should’ve been much better considering he’s taller than LeBron, still, his stats are pretty decent and is very close to LBJ.
LeBron's career rebounding rate is slightly higher than KD, giving him a little advantage in the rebound battle. But expect Durant to decrease that gap, he has always improved himself. When it comes to the rebound battle, both are pretty similar.
#3 Playmaking
LeBron can simply dominate the game with his amazing passing skills. He is one of the best passers in the league.and is great at getting his teammates involved. LeBron is known for making incredible passes and finding an open man at the right spot is what he does.
He averages 7.2 assists per game, which is incredible. LeBron’s career high in assists is 19, his passing has improved with experience and age. Apart from this, he also holds 1st place all-time in career assists by a forward with (8,300).
Kevin Durant is a decent playmaker but not as good as LeBron. His career high assist in a game is 10. KD hold an average of 4 assists per game. His playmaking has ascended since he joined the Golden State Warriors and will only get better.
King James could be considered as one of the greatest passers of the game and is way ahead of Durant in the playmaking battle.
#4 Defense
James is a premier defender and can guard all 5 positions, using his impressive athletic ability and size to lock down anyone who stepped up to him. He has 0.8 blocks per game, which is pretty decent. As a defender, he is not a great rim protector, but his on-ball defense is nothing short of spectacular. His defense may have fallen off slightly with age but he’s still very effective.
Durant has the height and athleticism to be effective in this area, due to his large frame he can block a lot of shots which makes him an excellent rim protector. KD’s block % is greater than LeBron, which stands at 1.1 blocks per game. He is also an excellent 1v1 defender.
LeBron's defense felt down drastically in the last five years whereas Durant's defense and defensive IQ has reached to a new level ever since he joined GSW which proves Durant is a better defensive player than LeBron at the moment.
#5 Personal accolades
James' accomplishments include four times NBA MVP award, three NBA Finals MVP Awards, three All-Star Game MVP awards, and an NBA scoring title. He is the all-time NBA playoffs scoring leader and has amassed fourteen NBA All-Star Game appearances, twelve All-NBA First Team selections, five All-Defensive First Team honors, two Olympic gold medals and won NBA Rookie of the year in 2004.
He has also won Conference player of the week a record 61 times and Conference player of the month 44 times. James is the only player in NBA history to record at least 31,000 points, 8,000 rebounds, and 8,000 assists. He was also selected as Sports Illustrated Sportsperson of the Year in 2012 and 2016.
Kevin Durant's list of honors include NBA Most Valuable Player in 2014, two times NBA Finals MVP, nine times NBA All-Star selections, six-time All-NBA First Team, two time All NBA Second Team and was selected as NBA Rookie of the Year in 2008. Know as the Youngest player in NBA history to win an NBA scoring title at age of 21 years, 197 days.
Both LeBron and Durant have won many individual honors, but as it seems, for now, King James holds a slight advantage over KD in terms of personal achievements. LeBron is best when it comes to the stats.
#6 Team honors
LeBron is currently playing in his 16th NBA season(his first for the LA Lakers). So far he has made 9 Finals appearances, 6 times for the Cavs and 3 times for Miami. He led his teams to the Finals, 8 times in consecutive years from 2010–2018, a feat only 5 NBA players of all time has achieved.
Although he has appeared so many times in the NBA Finals, he has only won the Title three times, two with Miami Heat (2012 and 2013) and one for The Cavaliers (2016), making an unwanted record of 3-6. It might not look good but is still impressive considering he won the Championship 3 times and was also selected as the Finals MVP in all those wins. He could still win some more Championships with the Lakers.
Kevin Durant is in his 12th NBA season and is a star player for the Golden State Warriors. He has already won two NBA Titles with the Warriors (2017,2018) and was also selected as the Finals MVP in both series.
His addition to the team has made them an unstoppable force, playing alongside the splash brothers. Golden State swept Cleveland in both of their Finals wins with KD. He has played in three Finals, one time with Oklahoma City and twice with Warriors, his record stands at 2-1 as of now.
LeBron has more rings than Durant, but it looks like it'll soon change. The Warriors are one of the most dominating teams in the NBA today and the addition of the Slim Reaper has made them nearly invincible.
#7 Impact on team
LeBron James is a great leader and has made a significant impact on the teams he played for. He thrives off making everybody around him better, pretty much every aspect of the game even when he doesn’t have the ball in his hands.
When he joined Miami and formed the big three, they were unstoppable and won two Titles. James has carried the Cavs in the past and also led them to victory by beating one of the greatest teams of the modern times(73 wins).
Such is his impact on the team, they came back to win the series from a 3-1 deficit and snatched the victory from the jaws of death, the only team in the NBA history to accomplish such an incredible feat. He will be a great asset for the Lakers and could make a great impact this season.
Durant made a huge impact for the Oklahoma City Thunders, his eight seasons there are a testament to that. Thunder clinched a spot in the 2012 NBA Finals due to his impressive performances. His addition to the warriors helped them win two straight Championships and are expected to win again this season.
He steps up whenever his team needs him. He has formed a formidable partnership with Steph Curry and the rest of the Warriors squad. He has added another dimension to the attacking system of the team. He seems to be improving after every game and will only get stronger.
LBJ is a complete player and his impact on teams is clearly seen and the same can be said abut Durant. The Durantula could match up with LeBron in terms of legacy as he has a lot to offer and is also younger than James. Regardless of that, both these players are elite and play a vital role for their respective teams. LeBron James currently has a higher hand in the game of stats but expect KD to even up the score soon. Could this year we see Warriors vs Lakers for the Conference Title? Let's hope so.
