For decades, people have engaged in a never-ending debate about who the greatest NBA player of all time is. For most fans and analysts, the list comes down to Michael Jordanand LeBron James.
Needless to say, that has created a tedious back-and-forth between people making a case for either of those players. In reality, they both have enough merits and accolades to be considered the best ever.
That’s just one of the reasons why Kevin Durant thinks that the debate is completely pointless. Moreover, it’s not like they have to play against each other, so what’s the point in comparing them?
NBA News: Kevin Durant Says There’s No Point In Comparing LeBron James And Michael Jordan
(Transcript via Fadeaway World)
“MJ would never play against LeBron in a game. I think LeBron will be in that same realm. … There’s, like, no comparison to what Michael Jordan did. It’s just different. You know what I’m saying? … Y’all both are something we never seen before. You know, both unique, both sitting in your own areas of greatness.”
“Why the hell are we always comparing these guys like they’re gonna play against each other? … When you look at what they’ve done separate of, like, the comparisons, it’s some unbelievable shit from both of them. And that transcends the game of basketball, you know. I’ve heard people say ‘You’re the LeBron of this,’ so, you know, he’s in that realm, too.”
Durant Says The Lack Of Social Media Made Jordan A Bigger Legend
Durant also believes that the non-existence of social media helped shaped Michael Jordan into an even bigger monster. People really didn’t know anything about him and that mystery made him even more interesting:
“Everything is so accessible now. Michael Jordan was such a mystery back then. You couldn’t just open your phone and scroll through his whole life on Instagram or see his thoughts on Twitter.”
“There’s so much coverage on us as players right now. That takes away some of that mystery, that lore that comes along. We’re so easy to touch and we get taken for granted for a while. So MJ dipped in and out of circles, rarely did interviews, kept to himself. I think that helped towards him just being this god-like figure in our game.”
At the end of the day, there’s no point in trying to argue which player is better. They’re from different eras, played different positions, and achieved different things. So maybe, we just oughta let it go.
