Is Kevin Durant one of the all-time basketball greats? Yes. But does he have enough credentials to be in the same conversation as LeBron James? Probably not. And that’s what Charles Barkley recently stated, highlighting that one quality that the two-time NBA champ lacks.
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On the Dan Patrick Show, the Round Mound of Rebound was asked about comparing Durant to James. Barkley said KD should always believe he’s better, because any player chasing greatness needs that mindset.
And Durant does have a near-complete game. Then again, answering the question honestly, Chuck acknowledged that there’s a glaring difference between the two greats.
Barkley brought up KD’s leadership, or lack of it, stating that he doesn’t have it at the same level as LeBron, who has found success with every NBA team he’s joined. Durant, on the other hand, has had to jump ship multiple times. That might have been the point Barkley was trying to make.
“Do I think KD is as good as LeBron? I do not. I don’t think he has his leadership qualities,” Barkley said. “I think that’s a fair question, but KD’s answer should be, yes.”
To emphasize his point about self-belief, Barkley adamantly answered “yes” when asked if he himself was better than Larry Bird and Michael Jordan. Ask anyone in the basketball community, and they’d laugh it off. But Chuck, with his mentality, will always consider himself better than anyone else.
Realistically speaking, though, LeBron is a step ahead of KD, and perhaps anyone else in the NBA today, when it comes to credentials and overall quality. Still, Chuck doesn’t believe either LeBron or Durant deserves to be compared to the absolute GOAT in his eyes: Jordan.
No James in Chuck’s all-time top 5
Almost everyone in the NBA has a different take on who the GOAT is. More often than not, their all-time lists look quite different too, with surprising omissions or inclusions. Just imagine LeBron not being in the top five.
During an appearance on All the Smoke a couple of years ago, Barkley revealed that his five best NBA players of all time: Jordan, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell. So, Chuck’s a fan of the OGs.
But the fact that he didn’t have James or Kobe Bryant on that list surprised many. He also didn’t consider Bird or Magic Johnson, players considered by many to be two of the greatest of all time.
Bryant came sixth on his list, followed immediately by LeBron. It’s a baffling ranking to consider, even though all the players named are bona fide legends of basketball.
