LeBron James (38-year-old) and Kevin Durant (35-year-old) are still among the 10 best players in today's NBA.
Last night, James and Durant played against each other for the first time since Christmas 2018. The Los Angeles Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns 100-95 in a very important game for the Purple and Gold. LeBron James scored 21 points with 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks, while Kevin Durant scored 39 points with 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block.
At this moment, both players are not in their primes anymore, but still, they show how elite they are on the court. LeBron James, obviously, has had a better career than Kevin Durant, but what if we compare those two great forwards in 2023-24?
Who is the better scorer, who is the better defender, who is the better leader, and who is better in the 1-on-1 game at this moment?
Through 11 categories, let's see who is the better player right now between LeBron James and Kevin Durant.
Scoring - Kevin Durant
If we were comparing careers and not predictions for the 2023-24 season, it would be hard not to roll with the NBA’s all-time leading scorer although Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen. Entering 2023-24, Durant is clearly the superior scorer in more ways than one.
Let’s start off with the simple fact that, just last season, Durant averaged 29.9 points per game on 55/40/90 shooting splits in 47 games for the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns. James is coming off a season in which he averaged 28.9 points per game on 50/32/77 splits. Not only was Durant more voluminous, but he was far more efficient in the ways he got his points as well.
James has never been a marksman on the court like Durant and that still applies in 2023-24. James does hold the advantage in powering his way to the rim and finishing with pinpoint accuracy, power, and a splash of finesse. Durant is the more versatile, efficient, and impactful scorer at this stage of their careers and for that, he takes the scoring category to kick things off.
Shooting - Kevin Durant
Just as we discussed in the scoring category, Durant runs away with the victory in the shooting category as well. Kevin Durant is one of the greatest mid-range shooters in NBA history and has only gotten more and more lethal with this shot as he gets older. Over the last three seasons, Durant has knocked down 53.8% of his shots from 3-10 feet, 55.1% on his shots from 10-16 feet, and 54.5% on his shots from 16 feet to just inside the three-point line. On top of that, he has also shot 40.8% from three and 90.6% from the foul line.
While James is among the most efficient scorers in NBA history when it comes to finishing at the rim, his shooting numbers, especially over the last three seasons, do not come close to Durant’s. From 3-10 feet away from the rim, he is shooting 46.6% from the field. From 10-16 feet, that percentage takes a dip to 36.7% and elevates a bit from 16-22 feet to 39.6%. He has also been just a 34.0% three-point shooter and a 72.9% free-throw shooter during that span.
It is another no-brainer when it comes to shooting, Kevin Durant is going to be the choice every time.
Athleticism - LeBron James
The fact that LeBron James is taking home the athleticism category at this stage of his career says all you need to know about his greatness. Thanks to a lack of any major injuries over the course of his career, and the amount of money he spends on his body, James has remained toward the top of the NBA hierarchy in athleticism for the last 21 years. Whether it is his strength barreling down the lane or his ability to rise up and finish emphatically over defenders still, Lebron James’ athleticism will be studied for yeast after he walks away from the court.
Kevin Durant being younger than James may be the only advantage he has in this category. Durant has suffered countless injuries that have affected his athleticism in his career including a torn Achilles in 2019. Durant relies heavily on his creativity and technique when he steps on the court these days while James still needs his athletic ability and strength to be effective.
It is with ease, at least in my opinion, that LeBron James be considered more athletic than Durant at this point in time.
Defense - Kevin Durant
The defensive category is one that should almost be a wash in 2023-24. Kevin Durant is slightly above James in this category and has been an extremely underrated defender for nearly his entire career. At this point, in 2023-24, the conversation is about effort and Durant has displayed much more of that than LeBron has.
I cannot think of how many times over the last two seasons LeBron James has been accused of taking defensive possessions off or flat-out just hasn't gotten back on defense. I am not saying that it has been a bad thing or that his age doesn't have anything to do with it, but LeBron has been abysmal on the defensive end for some time now.
Where Durant has been most impressive is his defensive presence away from the ball and as a help defender in the paint. Durant put together 1.4 blocks per game last season which happens to be pretty damn good for someone who has never been named to an All-Defensive Team in his career. In 2022-23, James and Durant recorded identical defensive ratings of 113.0 as well so it all comes down to who we think will give more effort on that side of the ball this season and for that, Kevin Durant has to be the choice.
Handles - Kevin Durant
Both of these players are known to have an equally unique and elite set of handles in their career, although, you won't find either of them among the best ball-handlers in NBA history. Handles are not all for show as they are a calculated part of a player’s offensive arsenal and what each player does with their ball-handling skills needs to be weighed heavily in this conversation.
That is why this category’s selection has to go to Kevin Durant. At 7’0’’ tall and with handles like a guard, Durant has become one of the most lethal scorers in NBA history. Even the most elite defenders in the NBA have a tough time keeping up with Durant’s dribble and misdirection as he looks to get to his spots. His slim frame and build make him a nightmare to deal with defensively which is why his handles are superior to James.
James is not nearly as flashy with his dribble and relies less on that as a part of his game. James’ entire goal is to penetrate the interior either as a scorer or a passer which he has never had to use flashy moves to accomplish. James is known for having a little bit in his bag as far as handling the rock goes but compared to Durant, he comes up short.
Clutch - LeBron James
Over the course of their NBA careers, both LeBron James and Kevin Durant have shown they can be relied upon in the biggest games and on the NBA’s biggest stages. Whether it has been as a scorer, playmaker, or just a decoy, these two have fulfilled their legacy and then some in the clutch department.
One player who can be relied upon almost more than any other player in history in clutch moments is LeBron James. Yes, even in 2023-24, I am more comfortable with the ball in the hands of LeBron James than Kevin Durant in the waning moments of a game. If we were simply speaking about clutch shooting, Durant may be the player to take but this goes for all clutch play.
LeBron James can make his share of clutch shots too but there is so much more than that. James is guaranteed to always make the right basketball decision in critical moments whether it be passing off to an open teammate when doubled or a drive and kick for a game-winner. James is always going to make that play and I trust that just a bit more than what Durant is looking to do in the clutch which is to score every single time.
Leadership - LeBron James
The leadership category is always a tough one to decipher and pick a winner in due to the numerous variables and factors that go into it. LeBron James gets the nod over Kevin Durant as a leader due to his track record up to and including their most recent days on the court. James has continuously pushed his Lakers teammates and guided them to a Western Conference Finals berth. The Lakers are still undeniably his team whether it be on the court as a guide to and through certain situations or on the bench through observation and communication.
Kevin Durant has had to step up and be a leader on a number of occasions in his career. The 2023-24 season does not have to and will not be one of those occasions. Everybody from an outside standpoint can see that the Suns are Devin Booker’s team. Everything begins and ends with him which shows growth by example on Durant’s part to step back and let things play out. I see LeBron James’ leadership having a far bigger effect on the Lakers this season than Durant’s in Phoenix.
Basketball IQ - LeBron James
Let’s start this category off by saying that both LeBron James and Kevin Durant are extremely intelligent basketball players who have flexed their knowledge of the game on more than one occasion. With that being said, I do not believe we have ever seen a player understand, control, and direct the course of a game like LeBron James has.
Whether it is directing his teammates as play is going on, rallying his team and calling plays in during timeouts, making mid-game adjustments, or all of the things he does to show he understands the flow and direction of the game better than anyone else on the court, LeBron James’ basketball IQ is inferior to none.
Impact - LeBron James
With just a few categories left, LeBron James jumps into a late lead in this comparison with a win in the impact category. As impactful as Kevin Durant is, James is much more impactful to the Lakers in the sense that they need him in order to keep their heads above water. With Durant, the Suns are loaded as an offensive unit with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal to shoulder the workload if Durant is on the bench.
Even in the Lakers’ first game of 2023-24, James showed what he means to the Lakers. With James in the game, Los Angeles was a +7 as a team and sparked numerous comebacks to keep themselves in the game. With James on the bench, they were a -14 amid the struggles of Anthony Davis and D’Angelo Russell, digging themselves into a deeper hole.
This isn't to say Durant doesn't impact the game in a massive way. Last season with the Nets and Suns, Durant was a +258 compared to James’ +214 with the Lakers. Durant’s scoring and efficient play make him one of the biggest superstars in the game and a reason the Suns can win a championship this season. I know that I trust Phoenix without Durant way more than I could trust the Lakers to compete without James.
Efficiency - Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant and LeBron James are two of the most efficient small forwards in the history of the NBA and that continues to be the case in 2023-24. Last season, Kevin Durant ranked ninth in the NBA with a player efficiency rating of 25.9. James sat just three spots below him in 12th in the NBA at 23.9. Durant’s efficiency goes well beyond PER, though.
In 2022-23, Durant had one of the most efficient scoring seasons in NBA history. He averaged 29.9 points per game in 47 games played while shooting 56.0% from the field, 40.4% from three, and 91.9% from the foul line. Durant also committed 1.1 fewer turnovers per game, giving away fewer possessions, ultimately putting his team in a better position to win.
As efficient as James has been his entire career, the overall comparison doesn’t come close. Kevin Durant has surpassed him on every scale of efficiency there is to measure.
1-On-1 Game - Kevin Durant
A game of 1-on-1 basketball would be extremely interesting between these two. Are you listening, Adam Silver? On one hand, you have one of, if not the greatest offensively skilled scorers in the history of the NBA with Kevin Durant. Even in their primes, Durant got the best of LeBron in isolation situations, and at their ages now, the gap has likely widened.
Opposing Durant, there is LeBron James who even at his age, can still throw around his size and strength to bully most opponents. In any style of play where he needs to go downhill, James will dominate. In a game of 1-on-1 among these two intelligent and skilled players. The superior player will always be the one with the deeper offensive arsenal. For that reason, very slightly, Kevin Durant gets the decisive point in this comparison.
Final Result
LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant 5-6
Just as we have been predicting in the preseason with our top 100 player rankings and just as we have said in the comparison using our most accurate formula heading into 2023-24, Kevin Durant has surpassed LeBron James by the slimmest of margins. This is not a slight to LeBron James in any way. As a matter of fact, for him to even make this a serious conversation while pushing 39 years old is an equal or greater accomplishment than coming out victorious, and I truly mean that.
At this point in their careers, however, 35-year-old Kevin Durant can be relied upon just a bit more than 39-year-old LeBron James. As a scorer, shooter, defender, and interior presence on defense, Durant makes the Suns a potential super squad in the Western Conference. James’ sharpest weapons right now are his basketball mind and his playmaking abilities which are not only superior to Durant but everyone else in the NBA as well.
This comparison is so close that if one or two categories go a different way, LeBron James is the winner and this entire conversation is flipped. At this stage of the game though, I am confident in our decision to crown Kevin Durant the victor.
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