LeBron James has been one of the best players in the NBA for the majority of his career in the league. The King will be 38 years old next season, but he is still one of the most phenomenal players in the league.
Another NBA superstar who is still a great player is undoubtedly Kevin Durant. But when we compare James and KD to each other, the former surpasses the latter for the most.
While Durant is still a few years younger than James, he has struggled with injuries a lot over the last few seasons. Moreover, when it comes to performing in the postseason, Durant failed to live up to the expectations last season.
KD and the Nets entered the 2021-22 NBA season as one of the favorites to win it all but ended up getting swept by the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
Shannon Sharpe Leaves Kevin Durant Out Of His Top 5 NBA Players
With the start of the 2022-23 NBA season in sight, the debates about who the best players in the league have also started. NBA analyst Shannon Sharpe recently shared his top 5 NBA players.
His list included Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, and LeBron James. When naming his top 5 players, Sharpe went on to explain why he picked James over Durant.
(Starts at 0:50):
https://twitter.com/undisputed/status/1572625997849300999
“Because he can give as many points as Kevin Durant, he’s a better rebounder. … And the one thing that there’s no question … He’s a much better leader. Kevin Durant said he does not want to lead. I’m taking the words out of his mouth. That’s what he said.
He continued, “He (Durant) left the light-skin dude, and then what? He won one series in three years. I will let the first year slide because he was rehabbing.”
There’s no doubt that both LBJ and KD are still two of the top players in the league. But when it comes to being a leader and being a more complete player, James easily surpasses the Slim Reaper.
Durant is considered one of the best scorers of our generation, but as mentioned by Sharper, LeBron can still score. In addition to scoring, James is a great ball handler and has proved that over the years.
