Ex-NBA player Austin Rivers believes Kevin Durant’s offensive game is twice as good as LeBron James despite 11,613 points difference

For former NBA guard Austin Rivers, LeBron James’ offensive game pales in comparison to Kevin Durant’s. James is widely considered as one of the greatest players ever, but his scoring ability is not better than the Rockets forward’s, according to Rivers.

Durant is trailing James by more than 11,000 points on the NBA’s all-time scoring list, but Rivers said that he has a deeper offensive bag. He explained why he gave the edge to Durant when looking at stricly offense.

“LeBron is number one (in scoring), but his game doesn’t match a prototypical scorer,” Rivers said on Wednesday, via “The Ringer NBA Show.” “It’s also not sexy. LeBron’s game is built on force, sheer will, dedication, his mind, his IQ, the way he is able to dissect and control a game, and power, above anything else. He wills himself to the basket.

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"LeBron has scored more points than Kevin, but Kevin can score in a much bigger variety of ways than LeBron. ... You can argue with the wall, but that’s just the truth. LeBron doesn’t have half the offensive bag that Kevin has."

Both players have unique builds that allowed them to dominate the game in different ways. However, Rivers noted that in the twilight years of his career, James has improved his 3-point shot.

Austin Rivers weighs in on the greatest scorers he's seen play in addition to Kevin Durant

Austin RIvers name-dropped elite scorers when asked who were the greatest offensive players he's ever seen.

In addition to Kevin Durant, Rivers mentioned Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, among others.

"I would say Kevin (Durant), Carmelo (Anthony), James Harden, Kobe (Bryant), Michael (Jordan) and (Allen) Iverson are the best scorers I’ve ever seen,” Rivers said on Wednesday, via "The Ringer NBA Show."

Rivers also noted how all of the players he mentioned have midrange games, something that he thinks is still important in the modern NBA.

He explained that midrange shots are looked at as being less important than 3-pointers. However, come playoff time, teams often find themselves in need of a player who can knock down a midrange shot late in the game.

According to a YouTube analysis, 40% of all shots in 1988 were from the midrange. That number dropped to 13% in 2013, with 3-pointers accounting for 39% of all shots during NBA games.

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About the author

Evan Bell

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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