When he bids his farewell to the sport, Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant will be remembered as one of the best to ever lace his boots. Will be thought of as a legendary 3-level scorer, though?
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You may claim so, but some basketball fans on the internet figured it would be a disservice to Michael Jordan. Jordan, widely credited as the greatest of all time in basketball, has largely been immune to being bypassed in such comparisons.
Durant knows that. In fact, he admits to MJ breathing rarified air but asserts that people considering him “less than” Jordan aren’t fair, especially since he’s done a lot of what people loved to see Jordan do for years on an end.
A user on X, AirJordans23, recently shared a post claiming that Jordan easily cleared Durant as the “greatest pop-up guard and midranger in NBA history.”
While it might not have been a shade from the X user, Durant seemed to have taken it as such and let everyone know that, should Jordan be asked, he would agree that the Rockets star excels at scoring from all three main parts of the court.
Mike would tell u ima 3 level scorer
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) August 19, 2025
Durant has been great 3-level scorer all his career. He scores from the rim, from mid-range and from beyond the three-point line. That, however, is not the point AirJordan23 was trying to make.
In response to Durant, he said, “Of course, holmes. You’re ONE of the greatest 3-level scorers in NBA history. Not THE best 3-level scorer ever. Michael Jordan was more dynamic in the post and midrange against much tougher defenses AND was more clutch, even from 3.”
Durant, however, wasn’t about to let the matter rest. He asked if there was any real difference between a “’true’ 3 level scorer and just a 3 level scorer” that people keep harping on about while talking about his career in respect to the legends that came before him.
According to Durant, “MJ is one of one. Rare air that can’t be touched but I’ve made those same shots for over a decade lol.” To be fair to KD, he has indeed! But this is X. The argument was never going to end, especially with people specifying that, while they wouldn’t deny Durant being an all-time great scorer, they couldn’t agree to the argument that he was better than Jordan.
It is a little weird, however, to see Durant actually getting into these debates with the common folk before the new season starts. But KD has an explanation for that as well.
“I get nothing but lashes for this but it’s entertainment to some people so I provide that service for them. Think of it like Dave Chappelle or any comedian … goes to a comedy club and test his jokes out unexpectedly. Some people feel offended by the jokes but some understand the setting,” Durant tweeted, in response to a fan asking why he indulged these online arguments.
It’s unlikely to serve him in the upcoming season, but at this point in his career, Durant has earned the right to tickle his own fancy!
