LeBron James may be the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, but that doesn’t mean the masses acknowledge him as the greatest scorer in NBA history in terms of how he goes about sinking those buckets. Many argue that players like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and even Tracy McGrady compete with James for that title. Former NBA player Austin Rivers has seen LeBron’s scoring technique up close, and he believes James pales in comparison to Kevin Durant.
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This topic has become a focal point of Durant’s social media antics. In a recent tirade on X, KD found himself in several heated exchanges. In one recent interaction, he confronted a fan who attempted to belittle his scoring ability. The Houston Rockets star told it as it is.
“Dime dropper, I mastered scoring at 24 years old, man. Give it a rest, I don’t care about being the best scorer ever. You are diminishing my all-time greatness, calling me that,” Durant said.
Fans may not like Durant’s social media trolling, but he’s undeniably one of the league’s greatest scorers. Even LeBron holds Durant in that high regard. KD has some serious ground to cover until he reaches LeBron James, as he currently sits eighth on the all-time list at 30,571 points. There’s a strong possibility he’ll move up to sixth by the end of the upcoming season.
Aside from Kevin Durant’s physical gifts, certain elements of his game account for his outstanding scoring ability. Rivers enlightened the population on what those key traits are.
“You can’t say what makes a great scorer is this [one thing],” Rivers said on the Off Guard podcast. “It’s a multitude of things. How efficient are you? How many points have you scored? Are you a three-level scorer?”
Durant does seem to fit Rivers’ criteria, while James doesn’t. LeBron certainly holds his own for the first two questions, but for the third, James is a unique case.
“For example, with the all-time leading scorer, it’s complicated, because [LeBron’s] not a guy who’s a three-level scorer. He can be at times. You got to give him credit,” Rivers stated.
The four-time NBA champion has undoubtedly refined his game in recent years. At the peak of his powers, he relied heavily on his athleticism because his jump shot wasn’t polished. Since Durant entered the league, he has never had that problem. The 6-foot-11 forward’s scoring ability has wreaked havoc on defenders, as Rivers pointed out.
“LeBron has scored more points than Kevin, but Kevin can score in a much [broader] variety of ways. LeBron doesn’t have half the offensive bag that Kevin has,” Rivers said.
Rivers’ opinion can be trusted, since he competed against both players. When listing who he views as the best scorers ever, he didn’t include one essential figure.
“I would say Kevin, [Carmelo Anthony], James Harden, Michael, Kobe and [Allen Iverson] are the best scorers I’ve ever seen,” Rivers revealed.
The former Los Angeles Clippers guard left LeBron off his list. Of course, he is entitled to his opinion. At 40 years old, James may be able to change Rivers’ mind with another dominant performance for the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2025-26 season.
