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Kevin Durant Opens Up About His Rivalry With LeBron James: “That Was The Next Jordan”

Kevin Durant has come a long way, now that the current Brooklyn Nets superstar often gets dragged in the same tier as LeBron James who’s been regarded as the best player in the game for almost a decade now.

Talking with Alex Rodriguez on Barstool Sports, Durant opened up about his rivalry with the Lakers superstar and talked about how their competition evolved through the years.

“Since I was in ninth grade and I turned on ESPN, LeBron James was the guy that people were saying was the next Jordan… In my mind, it was like this is the best player, so I have to be as good as this. Or I have to look him in the eyes at some point in my career. That was always in the back of my mind as I worked, as I played games. Because that was what was told me. That was the new guy, that was the next Jordan. But that evolved into it’s just another competitor you know.”

Durant and James’ matchup has gotten a much brighter spotlight during the 2012 Finals where a 23-year old Durant had the chance to measure himself with James and the Miami Heat. Although that series ended in favor of James, Durant got his revenge when he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2017, beating LeBron and the Cleveland Cavaliers in back-to-back NBA Finals.

During the interview, Durant also spoke about the longevity of his long-time competition against the three-time NBA champion, bringing it up as something ‘pretty special’ to him.

“Just having somebody that’s been around since I took basketball serious and we’re still playing against each other. That’s pretty special to me. The longevity. You can call it a rivalry or whatever, but to have somebody at the same position and guarding each other when we play is definitely special because he’s one of the best players ever that touched the floor.”