LeBron vs KD comparison: Who is the basketball GOAT of this era?

LeBron vs KD comparison: Who is the basketball GOAT of this era?

Lewis Injai
updated at April 12, 2023 at 8:09 PM

Lebron James and Kevin Durant are two of the biggest names in basketball at the moment. When the two were matched up to face one another in this year's NBA All-Star Game, one question was in many people's minds, in the Lebron vs KD battle, who is the basketball GOAT of this era?

LeBron vs KD comparison- Who is the GOAT of this era?
LeBron James speaks to Kevin Durant during a timeout at an NBA game. Who qualifies for the GOAT of this generation title in a duel of the two? Photo: Yong Teck Lim
Source: Getty Images

While Durant may probably be considered the greatest player at the moment, LeBron held that title for the better part of a decade and is still putting out some of his career-best performances and does not show any signs of stopping any time soon. So, in comparison of these two, who qualifies to be crowned as the GOAT of this era? This article gives a comparative breakdown of their respective careers.

LeBron James vs Kevin Durant profile comparison

LeBron James

Kevin Durant

Name

LeBron Raymone James Sr

Kevin Wayne Durant

Nickname

King James

KD

Gender

Male

Male

Date of birth

30 December 1984

29 September 1988

Age

37 (as of August 2022)

33 (as of August 2022)

Zodiac sign

Capricorn

Libra

Place of birth

Akron, Ohio

Washington DC, USA

Current residence

Los Angeles, California, USA

New York, USA

Nationality

American

American

Religion

Christian

Christian

Profession

Basketball player

Basketball player

Position(s)

Small forward

Small forward/Power forward

Current team

Los Angeles Lakers

Brooklyn Nets

Height in feet

6'9"

6'10"

Height in centimetres

206 centimetres

210 centimetres

Weight in pounds

250 pounds

240 pounds

Weight in Kilograms

113 kilograms

109 Kilograms

Net worth

$1.2 billion

$200 Million

Monthly salary

$3.7 million

$4.05 million

Social media

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

Instagram, Twitter, Facebook

LeBron vs KD career overview

LeBron

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LeBron was already a star and a national sensation with his high school basketball team. However, due to the overwhelming offers he was getting while still in high school, he skipped college and entered the 2003 NBA draft, where he was the number one overall pick for the Cleveland Cavaliers, his hometown club.

  • NBA Rookie of the Year: 2004
  • 4x NBA Champion: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020
  • 4x NBA final MVP: 2012, 2013, 2016, 2020
  • 4x NBA MVP: 2009, 2010, 2012, 2013
  • 18x NBA All-Star: 2005–2022
  • 3x NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2006, 2008, 2018
  • 13x All-NBA First Team: 2006, 2008–2018, 2020
  • 5x NBA All-Defensive First Team: 2009–2013
  • NBA Scoring Champion: 2008
  • NBA Assists Leader: 2020
LeBron vs KD comparison-LeBron
Kevin Durant Defends against LeBron James in Game 2 of the 2018 NBA Finals. Photo: Lachlan Cunningham
Source: Getty Images

He played for the Cavaliers for seven years, earning the first two of his MVP titles, and was a key player in taking the Cavaliers to the NBA finals. He later joined Miami Heat in 2010, forming a formidable partnership with NBA stars Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh. Together they were revered around the league and were responsible for taking the Heat to the finals four consecutive times, winning two titles in the process.

In 2014, he rejoined the Cavaliers, where he helped them end a 52-year NBA title drought in 2016 when they beat Golden State Warriors in Game 7. This feat made him become one of the league's favorite players. In 2018 he joined LA Lakers, his current team, and in 2020, he won his fourth title with the club.

Kevin Durant

After a successful college career and making a name for himself in the college basketball circuit, Durant entered the 2007 NBA draft, where he was the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonic.

  • NBA Rookie of the Year: 2008
  • 2x NBA champion: 2017, 2018
  • 2x NBA Finals MVP: 2017, 2018
  • NBA Most Valuable Player: 2014
  • 12x NBA All-Star: 2010–2019, 2021, 2022
  • 2x NBA All-Star Game MVP: 2012, 2019
  • 6x All-NBA First Team: 2010–2014, 2018
  • 4x NBA Scoring Champion: 2010–2012, 2014

After his rookie year, Seattle SuperSonic moved to Oklahoma and changed the name to Oklahoma City Thunder. Later that year, Oklahoma City Thunder drafted Rusell Westbrook, with whom they formed a formidable duo, earning him his first NBA All-Star appearance.

In 2016, after 9 years with the club, he transferred to Golden State Warrior, where he won two championship titles. In 2019, he moved to the Brooklyn Nets, where he continues to put out some of the best performances in recent history.

LeBron vs KD comparison- KD
KD tries to steal the ball away from Lebron during the third quarter of an NBA game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena on 21st February 2016. Photo: J Pat Carter
Source: Getty Images

Break down: LeBron vs KD head to head

How much does LeBron average against KD? Well, the debate of LeBron vs Durant might seems like a home run for LeBron, for he has a four-year career advantage over Durant. Still, KD has been putting up some of the best performances we've seen and has been quoted on several occasions saying that his ultimate ambition is to reach LeBron's statistical achievements.

On the other hand, LeBron has managed to stay in shape past what critics consider the prime age and is still averaging some of the highest points in the league. He has also been quoted saying that Durant is one of his driving forces and always wants to stay in shape.

While LeBron vs KD stats might not reveal the whole story, they give a grim picture of some of the important factors that set them apart. So, below is a breakdown of what the numbers say on the LeBron vs KD face off.

Scoring

In the 2021/22 season, Lebron averaged about 28.0 points per game, while in his 18-season career, he has garnered a total of 37,062 points, making him second behind only Kareem Abdul Jabbar on NBA's score leader board.

LeBron vs KD comparison- Statistical achievements
LeBron has a competitive advantage over KD when it comes to scoring. Photo: Jason Miller
Source: Getty Images

Durant, on the other than averaged about 29.9 points per game in the 2021/22 NBA season and in his 14- season career, he has a total of 25,526 points, making him number 21 on the NBA score leader board. He is also one of the only three active players to cross the 25k points mark.

Passing

LeBron currently averages 7.4 assists per game, has a career assist of 10,045 points and ranks seventh in NBA's all-time career assists. In comparison, KD currently averages about 6.4 assists per game and has a 4,032 all-time career assist record.

Rebounding

KD has an average of 7.4 rebounds per game and has a career total of 6,646, while LeBron, on the other hand, averages about 7.5 rebounds per game and has a career total of 10,210.

LeBron vs KD comparison
Kevin Durant's career average of rebounds is almost similar to that of LeBron. Photo: Sarah Stier
Source: Getty Images

LeBron vs KD match meet-ups

The two have played against each other on 35 occasions since the inception of their careers, 21 in the regular season and 14 in the play-offs. LeBron's side has won 20 times, 15 in the regular season and 5 in the playoffs, while Durant's side has won 6 games in the regular season and 9 in the playoffs.

LeBron vs Kevin Durant All-star game

LeBron has appeared in 18 NBA all-star games, winning all eighteen times, while Durant has made 12 all-star game appearances, losing ten times. However, Kevin Durant missed out on the 2022 All-Star due to the loss of his grandmother.

LeBron vs KD finals

In his 19-year career, LeBron has been to the NBA finals 10 times, losing 6 six times, while KD, on the other hand, has been to the NBA finals four times, losing twice.

In addition, the two have faced each other off at the NBA finals thrice, with Durant winning two times out of those three as a member of the Golden State Warriors, while LeBron won his lone NBA title against KD in 2012 as a member of the Miami heat.

LeBron vs KD all-time stats

LeBron James

Kevin Durant (KD)

Number of seasons played

18

14

Total number of regular-season games played

1,366

939

NBA All-Star game appearances

18

12

NBA All-Star game MVP

3

2

NBA Finals appearances

10

4

NBA Finals MVP

4

2

NBA championships

4

2

NBA MVP

1

4

Total career points

37,062

25,526

Average career Points

27.1

27.2

Total career assists points

10,045

4,032

Average career assists

7.4

4.3

Total career rebound points

10,210

6,646

Average career rebound

7.5

7.1

While a LeBron vs KD comparison seems one-sided, with LeBron emerging as the outright winner, Durant emerges as a viable contender for this generation's GOAT status in the NBA.

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Authors
Lewis Injai photo
Lewis Injai