Kevin Durant says he's just as skilled as LeBron, so now we need a 1-on-1 game

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James and Warriors forward Kevin Durant are generally considered to be the two best all-around basketball players in the world right now, so it's only natural to compare them -- especially since they play the same position.

Most recently Durant got the best of LeBron on Christmas Day, thanks to some suspect calls down the stretch. They also battled each other in last season's NBA Finals, with Durant's signature moment coming on a go-ahead, dagger 3-pointer to seal a pivotal Game 3. In true Finals drama, Durant hit the shot over LeBron, a visual representation of an eventual changing of the guard atop the NBA's pecking order. Over the summer, Durant himself even described the moment as a "passing of the torch."

Speaking with Mark Medina of The Mercury News, Durant clarified his comments, saying that he never meant to imply that he was taking the torch from LeBron, but rather he was being brought into the conversation.

"I saw a lot of people took that out of context: What I'm saying is when somebody passes the torch, they're letting you in the room," Durant said. "You got LeBron. You got [Dwyane Wade]. You got [Carmelo Anthony]. You got Paul Pierce. You got Larry Bird. You got Dr. J all in a room. It's my turn to be in there with them and enjoy being one of the best players in the world. It wasn't the fact that I took it from LeBron and he's gone now. Obviously he's still around."

Later in the conversation, Durant said something that has caused a serious debate among the NBA faithful.

"Accolades and accomplishments and legacy and all that stuff and how they mean to people, I can't talk on that," Durant said of LeBron. "But as far as basketball skills are concerned? I'm on the same level."

Aaaaaand ... go! Let the arguments commence:

Durant's a better shooter, LeBron's a better passer.
Durant's a better shot-blocker, LeBron's a better one-on-one defender.
Durant has a better pull-up, LeBron has a better fadeaway.

The list goes on and on, so the only real way we're ever going to solve this is the old-fashioned way -- a high-stakes 1-on-1 matchup to end the debate once and for all.

I know what you're saying: "They'll never do it." But as the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase once said, everyone has a price. If promoters can get Conor McGregor and Floyd Mayweather together in a boxing ring, we can get KD and LeBron in a sold-out arena for the 1-on-1 game to end all 1-on-1 games.

Mayweather made about $100 million for the McGregor fight, so if you can get LeBron and Durant to agree to about $50 million each, with the winner getting an extra $25 million (maybe they even donate some or all of it to charity), the event could easily make that money back in ticket sales and pay-per-view. NBA commissioner Adam Silver has repeatedly stated his openness to the legalization of sports betting -- could you imagine how many bets would be taken on a LeBron-KD main event in Vegas?

And the lead-up would be great ... Durant and LeBron meeting for a press conference a week before the game, grimacing in each other's faces as they stand nose-to-nose. There's really no downside.

We can evaluate LeBron and Durant separately wall we want, but because of the team dynamic and the randomness of five-on-five basketball, there's really no way to know who's better until we get them on the court, mano a mano.

Let's block ads! (Why?)