“None of them can guard me”: Kevin Durant’s defiant stance against LeBron James, Kobe Bryant and more after fan’s jibe

Kevin Durant has hit back at a fan by claiming that LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Tim Duncan and Shaquille O’Neal can’t guard him. An account on X posted a graphic with these six players, asking who would come off the bench. One fan replied to the post, calling KD an impostor.

Durant replied to the fan, claiming that none of the other players in the graphic can guard him.

“None of them can guard me. How about that???” Durant wrote.

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Durant is widely regarded as one of the best scorers in league history, and his claim might even be true. A clip from a 2018 Kobe Bryant interview shows the "Black Mamba" admitting he could never figure Durant out. Bryant said he retired without finding a way to slow KD down.

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Next season will be Kevin Durant’s 18th year in the NBA. He has never averaged less than 20 ppg throughout a season, and has not averaged less than 25 ppg since 2007-08, his rookie season. The two-time NBA champion faces much criticism on social media, but his scoring ability can’t be faulted.

After OKC teammates Russell Westbrook and James Harden, Kevin Durant is headed to the Houston Rockets

Led by a young core of Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, the OKC Thunder reached the NBA Finals in 2012. Unfortunately for them, LeBron James and his Miami Heat ended their season, winning the series in five games. Consequently, Harden was traded to the Houston Rockets, where he grew into one of the best in the league, even winning the MVP award.

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After Harden, it was Westbrook’s turn in Houston as he joined the team during the 2019-20 season, averaging 28.2 points, 7.9 rebounds and 7.0 assists with them.

On Monday, the Houston Rockets traded Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, the No. 10 pick of the 2025 draft, and five second-round picks to the Phoenix Suns for Durant.

With KD’s arrival in Houston, the team has now been home to all three stars from the OKC Thunder team that reached the NBA Finals in 2012. Last season, the Rockets were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. Durant’s addition could see them make quite a jump in 2025-26.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.