In his chat with Jay Williams on ESPN’s “The Boardroom,” Kevin Durant insisted that Michale Jordan, not LeBron James, would be the best player in the game if he played today.
“He can adapt his game to anything,” Durant said. “He would fit in as the best player in the league. That’s what he would be. He would have more possessions to do more things. More space for M.J. to go to work. We’ll never know, but for sure he’s a masterful basketball player, and like we’ve been saying his skill level is unmatched.”
While Durant didn’t elaborate on how LeBron would into the equation, Stephen A. says the comment itself was a direct jab at “King” James.
“Yes it was. It was a shot at LeBron, it was a shot at KD himself, it was a shot at everybody. It was a taste of humility, it was a taste of raw, honest discussion because what KD is saying is that, excuse me, who we are there’s a standard that was set before we ever came along. And if you watched this brother do what he did as a superstar in this league, I’m talkin’ about MJ here, and you witness what he endured particularly during those times… then think about what he overcame, think about what he averaged, the number of years he averaged +30. Think about his career averages of 30 in the regular season and 33 in the in the postseason and think about today’s game, today’s rules, think about his toughness, the level of heart he had, the willingness and ability to adjust his game — with what he did, none of us would have been better than that guy.”
Kevin Durant is putting MJ on the unreachable pedestal many fans have him on today. For many, what he did and who he was on the basketball court can never be topped. For Durant, nobody (not him, not Steph, not LeBron James) can surpass it.
Stephen A. seems inclined to agree.
