“All Of Em Below Me”: Kevin Durant Doesn’t See Michael Jordan Or LeBron James Being On His Level

Kevin Durant is widely regarded as one of the best NBA players of this generation. The two-time champion’s resume of accomplishments is even more impressive when you tack on the four Olympic gold medals he has in his trophy case. But where would KD put himself in his own personal rankings of b-ball GOATS? At the very top, apparently.

Durant once famously named his Top 5 players of all time during an interview on the Knuckle Heads pod a couple of years ago. The list featured MJ, Kobe, Shaq, Hakeem, and Magic. One name that is noticeably missing is LeBron James.

However, the 15-time All-Star has since put Bron above the Mamba and His Airness during his most recent conversation with Bron and Steve Nash on Mind The Game. 

Not only that, but KD got a little bit of backlash from the appearance when he jokingly took a jab at Jordan for leaving in the middle of his prime to play baseball. Well, now Durant has more trolls to answer to. Someone on X pulled up his Knuckle Heads interview as a receipt to show how the 36-year-old has gone back on his word.

How did Durant respond? Exactly as you would have imagined. The future Hall of Famer fought fire with fire by claiming that Shaq, Jordan, Kobe, LeBron, Hakeem, and Magic are all below him according to his own personal rankings.

“All of em below me in my personal rankings. I wouldn’t have said that a few years ago, we grow and evolve as humans,” he wrote in response to the X post. “It’s just a kids game right? Why so serious?”

All of em below me in my personal rankings. I wouldn’t have said that a few years ago, we grow and evolve as humans. It’s just a kids game right? Why so serious ?

— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) July 10, 2025

It’s a very funny response considering how much KD plays into the internet’s hands and doesn’t allow anyone to slight his name. And why should he let them? He’s more than proven himself as a player, and nobody knows that more than Durant himself.

The former Suns player once told Jalen Suggs, “I’m God Rook” after a foul call, further proving that he walks to the beat of his own drum. There’s nothing wrong with being confident. But KD is locked in on another level in terms of how he views his own greatness.

That greatness lies not just in his stats, but in the way he makes the game look effortless. With a seven-foot frame and a guard’s handle, he’s a matchup nightmare who scores from anywhere on the court.

Few players in NBA history have blended size, skill, and scoring touch the way Durant has. As his career winds on, one thing remains certain. When KD takes the floor, you’re watching a master at work.

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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