NBA: Top 7 dream 1-on-1 Matchups 

#2 Larry Bird vs Kevin Durant

Larry Bird is 6'9" while Kevin Durant is upwards of 6'9". Both are NBA MVPs. Both are NBA Champions. And both can shoot the lights out of the basketball. We wouldn't be surprised if the two break into a game of H-O-R-S-E mid-way. These two perennial All-Stars have led their respective teams through their dominant offensive firepower. But how do they fare against one another?

Larry Bird has countless accolades to his name. 'Larry Legend' along with Magic Johnson was responsible for rescuing the NBA in the 80's from the depths of PR hell. Also, he might be the namesake of Larry the Bird (Twitter Logo).

Larry Bird was a stone-cold assassin on the court. The Hall of Famer is a 3-time NBA MVP, a 3 time NBA Champion and is considered to be one of the best players ever to lace them up. He was a prolific scorer, an incredible passer and made up for his lack of athletic ability with his cerebral play. Bird read the game better than most, and used his supreme basketball IQ to out-think and outplay his opponent. Also, he happens to be one the most legendary trash-talkers on the court.

One of the most competitive players to ever play the game, Bird had the mental strength to pull off amazing spectacles like this:

Bird won the inaugural 3-point contest in his warmup jacket. Oh, and his statement to his opponents before the contest: "which one of you guys is finishing second?"

Need we say more?

To challenge Bird, we have "The Durantula", Kevin Durant (KD). KD is one of the purest scorers the game has ever seen. Fadeaways, 3 point shots, mid-range jumpers, he does it all. Adding a crossover to his game that he regularly deploys, KD is a great off-the-dribble shooter who can be relied on with the ball as the clock runs out. Also, he has improved drastically on defense and is a much better 1-on-1 defender than Bird ever was. Since the past two years, KD has been touted as the best player behind LeBron James. And just that much, says volumes about his game.

But KD has had to face a lot of flak recently for abandoning ship and joining the Golden State Warriors (GSW). But the move has paid off. He was responsible for this dagger in Game-3 of the 2017 NBA Finals that sealed the game (and possibly the series) for GSW:

Despite his heroics, KD still faces a lot of hate for his decision to join Golden State. Here's Larry Bird with his say on KD changing teams.

And this is where we draw the distinction. This is a game of 1-on-1, not a regular season game. Not to take anything away from KD, his move to GSW has been termed weak on multiple occasions. Now while that may not be exactly true, Bird surely has the mental advantage over the self-conscious KD. And that trash talk laced with Bird's southern twang matters, a lot.

So, will there be a lot of jump-shots? Yes. Will there be a lot of trash talk? Yes. Is KD a better 1 on 1 defender than Larry? Definitely yes. But Larry Bird knows how to play mind games better than anyone else. And it helps to have ice in your veins.

Verdict: Another close matchup that would probably go 4 to 3 in a 7 game series of 1-on-1. There'll be some incredible borderline-impossible shots from both the players. KD would be hard to defend for Bird but Bird will know how to get under KD's skin. And no matter who you are, Larry Bird knows how to throw you off of your game. Bird flies away with this one.