“Let me just say this, he’s more Kobe Bryant than LeBron James…Meaning that he’s going to take the last shot.” Kevin Garnett heaped huge praise on Luka Doncic after the blockbuster trade. KG compared the 25-year-old to the Lakers legend Kobe in terms of mentality and having the confidence to deliver even in high-pressure moments. One such moment in the next year could be the reported 1v1 shooting contest during the All-Star game. The Celtics legend prefers Doncic but also gave flowers to another Mavs superstar. It is up to you to guess!

During the All the Smoke Podcast, KG asked a question about which player is the best in one-on-one situations. Host of the podcast, Matt Barnes was quick to say Kyrie Irving. Kevin Garnett interrupted, “What? Slow down. Whoa! What?” He continued to question, “How can nobody say Luka?” Apart from Barnes, who said Kai, even Oakland legend JR Rider agreed and did not consider Luka Doncic on his list.

But that wouldn’t deter Kevin Garnett from picking the 5x All-Star. “Luka could get off shot on anybody in the league… Damn! Luka I got Luka top three. I got Luka one-on-one.” Then co-host Stephen Jackson grilled KG for not choosing Uncle Drew over Doncic. However, The Truth‘s preference for the Lakers star did not mean he does not rate Irving’s skills. “Kai got the deepest bag in the league. Him and Shai got the deepest bag in the league.”

These discussions come after the reports of the NBA entertaining the idea of introducing the one-on-one tournament. It will be part of the 2026 All-Star weekend, and the players will have a chance to win even $1 million. Many players like Anthony Edwards, James Harden, and Giannis Antetokounmpo gave thumbs up to the idea. Even Irving had his say on the tournament.

Despite not being Kevin Garnett’s top choice, Kai answers the challenge

Last year, former teammate Kevin Durant hyped up Uncle Drew for having the best skills in the league. “I think he’s the most skilled ever to play the game. I think that there’s nothing he can’t do with a basketball.” If KD can vouch for it, then there shouldn’t be much question regarding Irving’s skills. Even the 32-year-old backed himself for the reported competition.

“I’m open to it. Yeah, when there’s smoke, there’s fire, and I’m that fire in 1-on-1.” The 9x All-Star did not stop during his conversation with Fox reporter Rachel Nichols. He would even list how the skill challenge should be presented differently. “Because you gotta commentate it a little bit differently than you would do on 5-on-5. There’s an appreciation for seeing a 1v1 matchup that goes beyond what the traditional space is now. So, maybe if we create that, I’m with that.”

For now, we don’t know Luka Doncic’s reaction to the potential tournament. But if he suits up, he will have one big supporter in Kevin Garnett. However, it will be interesting to see if the competition takes place and Kai and Doncic square up against each other.