For now, LeBron James and Kevin Durant are two of the NBA's biggest star players. James is 37 years old and has three Finals MVPs.
As for Durant, he is the two-time Finals Most Valuable Player, and this year he led the United States to a fourth consecutive Olympic gold medal.
The world is looking forward to the Lakers and Nets' NBA Finals next year. If that were the case, it would be the fourth meeting between the two players in the finals.
Who has the upper hand so far? Analyze it with points, rebounds and assists.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="6" > LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant (regular season</h1>).
Brown James: 28.0 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game, 7.0 assists per game; 51%/36%/73% shooting percentage; 59.7% true shooting percentage
Kevin Durant: 29.0 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game, 4.0 assists per game; 48%/41%/88% shooting splits; 60.9% true shooting percentage
Regular season head-to-head: LeBron James 15-6 Kevin Durant
James and Durant have met a total of 21 times in their careers, and James has a big advantage. When Durant started with the SuperSonics/Thunder, James beat Durant six times.
While the stats on both ends are impressive, you have to marvel at how james-led teams beat Durant in the regular season. In Durant's final year with the Thunder, James beat Durant twice in the regular season. It wasn't until Durant joined the Warriors that he won three of his six wins.
Due to injuries and COVID-19, the two haven't played in the regular season since Christmas 2018. Hopefully the two will stay healthy, as both players represent the new team since their last meeting.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="17" > LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant (NBA playoffs</h1>).
LeBron James: 32.0 points per game, 10.0 rebounds per game, 9.0 assists per game; 52%/32%/78% shooting splits; 60.2% true shooting percentage
Kevin Durant: 32.0 points per game, 8.0 rebounds per game, 5.0 assists per game; 55%/43%/91% shooting scoring; 66.8% true shooting percentage
Playoffs head-to-head: LeBron James 5-9 Kevin Durant
Durant's career includes Western Conference teams the Thunder and Warriors. As for James, he played for the Cavaliers and Heat of the Eastern Conference. When LeBron switched to the Lakers, Durant left to join the Nets, so the two changed dramatically.
Either way, the first time the two met was in the 2012 NBA Finals. The Thunder got off to a good start in the first game, but then the Heat won four straight titles. The two then met again in the NBA Finals of 2017 and 2018, with James only managing to win one game against KD, including being swept by the Warriors in 2018.
The numbers are very close again, but one jaw-dropping stat is Durant's free throw shooting percentage. In 2017, Durant ended with 15 wins and 16 losses in the Warriors' single game, but was very stable across the board. A 6% true shooting percentage is enough to show that Durant is James' better playoff opponent.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="26" > comprehensive statistics and records</h1>
LeBron James: 30.0 points per game, 9.0 rebounds per game, 8.0 assists per game; 52%/34%/75% shooting splits; 59.9% true shooting percentage
Kevin Durant: 30.0 points per game, 7.0 rebounds per game, 4.0 assists per game; 51%/42%/89% shooting; 63.3% true shooting
Combo head-to-head: LeBron James 20-15 Kevin Durant
If you combine regular season and playoff duels and stats, you get a very close replica of two really good players. From scoring to rebounding to shooting percentages, James and Durant brought their best games each time. The two aren't rivals, but they do feel like when you look at the stars up close.
James' stats tell us he's the better player overall. He has higher rebounds and assists than Durant, including twice as many assists as KD. The shooting percentage is close, and if you take into account the regular season, the true shooting percentage will be closer. Even the overall head-to-head game is close. If you think about it, five games are essentially a playoff series.
The playoff series could be the NBA Finals. In that case, the Nets sweep would still put Durant at the low end of the overall game, but his playoff record would be 13-5. We're overtaking ourselves because the two teams are likely to meet at least twice in the regular season. Hopefully this game will come at Christmas.
<h1 class="pgc-h-arrow-right" data-track="34" > conclusion</h1>
In the end, it had to be James to gain the upper hand for several reasons.
First, technically, he does have a regular season and combined record. The playoffs are a dark field. While one could argue that James was paired with other superstars in Miami, Durant didn't play. Durant, Westbrook, Harden, and even Sergi Ibaka are great basketball players, even at a young age.
Next, Durant teamed up with Stephen Curry (two-time MVP), Klay Thompson (then second-best shooter) and Draymond Green (Defensive Player of the Year). There is a very valid argument that the team with Durant will wipe out the Heat that LeBron plays for before joining Cleveland. Not to mention, one of the playoff series didn't leave for Boston without Kyrie Irving (2018), leaving James with Kevin Luck and JR Smith.
James' stats in the consolidation section are more telling than the regular season and playoffs. This shows that he is a better overall player. If Durant can sweep the season series and potentially beat James in the Finals, then that will prove what Durant has done in the past.