Is it harder to win the Super Bowl or the NBA title?It’s usually the sort of question posed at a bar or BBQ over some drinks that starts a long and passionate argument between sports fans.But on a recent episode of ESPN’s morning show ‘Get Up’, former NBA player Kendrick Perkins ignited the debate online by declaring live on air that:“It’s way harder to win a championship in the NBA than the NFL.”Former Steelers safety and Super Bowl winner Ryan Clark responded to Perkins on the show by saying:“The best team always wins the NBA championship.”So, who is right? is winning the Super Bowl more difficult? Or is the NBA Finals? Could they both be correct? Let’s take a deeper look at what it takes to win both championships.The case for the Super BowlSuper Bowl LVThe NFL recently extended their regular season to 17 games. They also expanded the playoffs by adding another slot, meaning some teams would have to win one extra playoff game to make it to the Super Bowl.If you are the number one seed in the AFC or NFC you would get a first-round bye but still have to win three postseason games to win the Super Bowl. So, to win it, a team would have to play in at least 20 games.The NFL playoffs differ from the NBA playoffs. The NFL uses the knockout format while the NBA has the best-of-seven series format.Baltimore Ravens defensive end Calais Campbell argued that the NFL's single-game knockout format leaves no room for error, thus making the Super Bowl more difficult to win than an NBA championship.In basketball you can have a bad day. The better teams are usually gonna win a 7 game series even if they start 0-2.In football you can’t be off for a moment. Better team can and will lose a lot more often. “Any given Sunday” Football is harder bc the margin for error is less https://t.co/8p6jAizLnP— Calais Campbell (@CalaisCampbell) May 7, 2021On ESPN's ‘Get Up’, Ryan Clark further explained that being the top seed doesn't guarantee progress in the NFL playoffs. He said:“Wildcard teams, number 7 or 8 seeds don’t win the NBA championships, while they can in the NFL.”NFL fans also pointed out that football is a contact sport that is harder on the body than basketball. Playing 20 games in the NFL in a five-month span causes significantly more wear and tear than playing an 82-game regular season, followed by at least 16 playoff games in the NBA.The case for the NBAWhile NFL fans and players have made the argument about the sudden death nature of the NFL playoffs, the NBA playoff series is tough in its own way.No disrespect to the NFL but it’s way harder to win a NBA Championship than it is to win a NFL Super Bowl!!! IMHO and don’t @ me. https://t.co/9SY4rI3tZ9— Kendrick Perkins (@KendrickPerkins) May 6, 2021A team can’t simply win one game and advance, or fluke a victory because the opposition is having a bad day. They have to beat the same team four times in a seven-game series.So, coaches and players have to adjust and adapt to new matchups and tactics constantly. Some would say it’s harder to beat a team four times than in a one-off game.Championship history comparisonOne argument that NFL fans and players who believe the Super Bowl is tougher to win make is that the NBA championship is predictable.They argue that the same few stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry play in the NBA Finals. To assess this argument, let's take a look at the teams and the marquee matchups in the past ten NBA and NFL seasons.NBA Finals2011 - Dallas Mavericks vs Miami HeatStar matchup: Dirk Nowitski vs LeBron James2012 - Oklahoma City Thunder vs Miami HeatStar matchup: Kevin Durant vs LeBron James2013 - San Antonio Spurs vs Miami HeatStar matchup: Tim Duncan vs LeBron James2014 - San Antonio Spurs vs Miami HeatStar matchup: Tim Duncan vs LeBron James2015 - Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland CavaliersStar matchup: Steph Curry vs LeBron James2016 - Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland CavaliersStar matchup: Steph Curry vs LeBron James2017 - Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland CavaliersStar matchup: Steph Curry vs LeBron James2018 - Golden State Warriors vs Cleveland CavaliersStar matchup: Steph Curry vs LeBron James2019 - Golden State Warriors vs Toronto RaptorsStar matchup: Steph Curry vs Kawhi Leonard2020 - LA Lakers vs Miami HeatStar matchup: LeBron James vs Jimmy ButlerNFL players and fans have a point when they say the same players make the NBA Finals every year. LeBron James has featured in nine of the past 10 NBA Finals. But it is important to note that James is the second-greatest, if not the greatest, NBA player of all time.NFL Super Bowls2011 - Green Bay Packers vs Pittsburgh SteelersQBs: Aaron Rodgers vs Ben Roethlisberger2012 - New York Giants vs New England PatriotsQBs: Eli Manning vs Tom Brady2013 - Baltimore Ravens vs San Francisco 49ersQBs: Joe Flacco vs Colin Kaepernick2014 - Seattle Seahawks vs Denver BroncosQBs: Russell Wilson vs Payton Manning2015 - New England Patriots vs Seattle SeahawksQBs: Tom Brady vs Russell Wilson2016 - Denver Broncos vs Carolina PanthersQBs: Payton Manning vs Cam Newton2017 - New England Patriots vs Atlanta FalconsQBs: Tom Brady vs Matt Ryan2018 - Philadelphia Eagles vs New England PatriotsQBs: Nick Foles vs Tom Brady2019 - New England Patriots vs LA RamsQBs: Tom Brady vs Jarred Goff2020 - Kansas City Chiefs vs San Francisco 49ersQBs: Patrick Mahomes vs Jimmy Garoppolo2021 - Tampa Bay Buccaneers vs Kansas City ChiefsQBs: Tom Brady vs Patrick MahomesWhen you look at the quarterbacks who have played in the last ten Super Bowls, one name stands out - Tom Brady.While Brady doesn’t have the same record as LeBron James, he's not far off. The Tampa Bay star has appeared in six of the past ten Super Bowls. Additionally, Kansas City Chiefs' Patrick Mahomes has played in each of the last two Super Bowls. So NBA players and fans could argue that the same quarterback always makes the Super Bowl.Conclusion: Winning a Super Bowl is just as difficult as winning the NBA FinalsI know Americans hate ties or draws but when it comes to this specific question there really is no wrong answer. It sounds obvious and somewhat of a cop-out, but both the NFL Finals and Super Bowl are extremely hard to win.The argument also gets clouded by the fact that two of the greatest ever players in both leagues, Brady and James, are still playing and winning. So, the next time you’re with your friends and this topic comes up, feel free to use this as an argument for either sport.