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Kevin Durant vs LeBron James GOAT Debate: Ron Artest Belives KD is a ‘Little Piece’ of King James

Published 06/26/2021, 9:09 PM EDT

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USA Today via Reuters

In a refreshing new turn, the argument around LeBron James vs Michael Jordan has another entrant. Currently, the hot topic in the league is the comparison between Bron and Kevin Durant to figure out who is the best active player. 

The season 2020-21 saw both the stars facing elimination when the expectations were that they would meet in the NBA Finals. Had they met, it would’ve been a revisit to their Cavs vs Warriors days and this conversation would gain more weight. But that didn’t happen and so it took Scottie Pippen and Ron Artest to spark the versus war.

LeBron James vs Kevin Durant

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USA Today via Reuters

Recently, former All-Star and champion with Kobe Bryant’s Lakers, Ron Artest, cast his vote over the current best. The 41-YO expressed, “I love KD. I always tell people I was so lucky to catch him in 2009 or 2010 when he was still raw. But LeBron probably, this year he was the best player in the world. He hurt himself, and when he hurt himself, he wasn’t the best player in the world…” 

He then pointed out Bron’s phenomenal IQ and how his awareness keeps him above everyone else. The retired player added, KD is a hell of a player, Hall of Famer and all that stuff. But LeBron is just different and they play different. LeBron is one of the guys, he plays Chess. KD took a little piece of that, go on a team where you can win. Construct a team who can win. That’s what you’re gonna ultimately be judged on and KD got two rings now. So he’s almost there. He really needed this year to win.”

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Now, as per their head-to-head meetings, one can not really figure who did better looking at the numbers. While LeBron went 15-6 in the regular games, KD took the postseason with a clear 9-5 mandate.

However, one must note that The Sniper had the Splash Brothers and a much better team to back him, while Bron had only Kyrie Irving (during playoffs).

Why Did Kevin Durant Led Brooklyn Nets Fail in 2021 to Win an NBA Ring?

How did this comparison pick so much heat?

Former Bulls’ great Scottie Pippen birthed a controversy after he detailed why Kevin Durant is far behind LeBron James. He bashed the Nets star for not utilizing his team in the clutch moment against the Bucks.

To that, KD responded by pointing out how Scottie chose to stay on the bench when Phil Jackson asked Tony Kukoc to take the buzzer-beater instead in a finals game.

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This was a regular Durant who would never take uninvited arrows on his chest. And why should he, the man averaged a career playoff-high 34.3 points, 9.3 rebs, 1.5 steals, and 1.6 blocks this season?

He could not win simply because of his 18” shoes and that is all the reason for him to not buy Scottie’s remarks.

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Which side are you on? Kevin Durant or LeBron James? Help us know why in the comments below.

Watch this storyHow a Pre-NBA Kevin Durant Humiliated LeBron James

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Written by:

Sourabh Singh

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Sourabh Singh is an NBA sports analyst for EssentiallySports, who has been working with the site since May 2020. Prior to this, he functioned as Managing Editor at WittyFeed, followed by a stint at Decathlon. The Sports Management graduate leads an active lifestyle, veering to the mountains for off-trail adventures.
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