Kevin Durant calls LeBron James a "scorer who can make plays": "I never fall for that 'Pass-first' type"

Kevin Durant isn’t buying the nearly two-decade hype LeBron James has been selling to the NBA. The LA Lakers superstar has insisted on several occasions that it’s humbling for a “pass-first” guy to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s scoring record.

Here’s what KD had to say as the four-time MVP is about to reset arguably the NBA’s most coveted record:

“I never fall for that ‘Pass-first’ type. Bron [James] always was a scorer that could pass. I think he was a scorer first. When you can get 50 like that and average 27 for your career, I really think he was a scorer in my opinion. On top of that with longevity, that’s what brings you to being the No. 1 scorer of all time.

"I just think he’s a scorer who can make plays. I think that’s underselling him by calling him a ‘pass-first’ player.”

LeBron James is averaging 27.2 points, 7.5 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game in his career. He has averaged at least 25 points in 19 of his 20 years in the NBA. Kevin Durant lags with 14 while Kobe Bryant, Karl Malone and Michael Jordan are tied with 12 such seasons.

“King James” very nearly won the second scoring title of his career when he averaged 30.3 PPG last season. He hasn’t reached the 30-point mark since the 2007-08 season when he topped the NBA in scoring.

Fans and sports analysts have raved about his passing, which is partly due to LeBron James pushing the idea of his “pass-first” mentality. He is indeed one of the league’s most accomplished passers, having passed Magic Johnson for sixth in the assists ladder last Dec. 2.

James’ 10,319 assists are just 15 shy of tying Mark Jackson’s 10,334. Steve Nash is in fourth place with 10,335. The four-time champ should surpass both before dethroning Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

Kevin Durant has played with and against LeBron James. KD, himself one of the league’s most unstoppable bucket-getters, can identify a scoring machine when he sees one.

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LeBron James inspires players of all ages and levels, including Kevin Durant

LeBron James is the youngest and the oldest to average at least 30.0 PPG in NBA history.

Kevin Durant is a 15-year veteran of the NBA, but he’s still astonished and inspired by what LeBron James does on a nightly basis. During the interview, it seemed like he was grasping for words to describe James’ insane greatness:

“The longevity is inspiring. You look up and you still see 30 points a night at 38 years old, still making plays on both ends of the floor. Man, it’s truly, truly inspiring. … He’s setting the bar for what an athlete wants to be. Not everybody could do this. This is the greatest [athleticism] that you can get.”

The 19x NBA All-Star averaged 25.8 PPG in October and November. He raised it to 31.2 PPG last month, which is the fourth in the league. He is now averaging 33.6 PPG in January, second behind Joel Embiid’s 34.0 PPG.

Considering “The Process” is 10 years younger, what James is doing is simply on another level that no one has ever been on at his age. He is an inspiration to many, even to those as accomplished and as popular as Kevin Durant.