If there is something that will never end it is the comparison between players from different eras.
Even in that niche, most comparisons revolve around the legendary players from the Chicago Bulls.
Yes, we are talking about the likes of Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen, and Dennis Rodman.
A perfect example of that was seen by fans back in a 2019 interview featuring Dennis Rodman. The Worm was asked about his thoughts on guarding none other than LeBron James. Rodman replied:
(starts at 6:06)
“You know who could lock up LeBron? Me, Mike, and Scottie could. F*ck yeah. I would have locked his a** up. LeBron is so easy to play. He’s so f*cking easy to play, he don’t have any moves. Only move he has is streak down the line. He ain’t got no moves. Where he going?? Where is he going that’s quick? That’ll be sh*t, you can stop that. Scottie Pippen would have shut his f*cking a** down quick before I get to him. His game is too simple, he’s just big. I’m 260 and 6’8” and 6’9”, that’s the only thing he got pretty much. I played against guys 7-foot, 300, so it doesn’t really matter.”
When asked about Kevin Durant, Rodman replied: “KD, same thing. Once you get to know people’s game, it’s very easy to play them. They just long and tall.”
There is no doubt that Dennis Rodman was one of the best defenders of his era. Moreover, when you combine that with the defensive talent of Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen, the trio seems like an impenetrable wall.
It is also true that most players will have a hard time scoring against that defensive unit. But LeBron James and Kevin Durant are not your average NBA players. The two are considered to be arguably the best players in the modern NBA.
At the end of the day, LeBron and KD play in a different era than that of Rodman and co. there is no way for us to find out who will win in a potential matchup between the superstars.
But what we know is how MJ would have guarded LeBron as he revealed that in an interview. Apart from that, everything is hypothetical and up for debate.