Prepare Yourselves, Kevin Durant vs. Michael Jordan Debates Are Coming

Brace yourself, it is coming. Debaters have been left a little lost in the wake of LeBron James failing to make the playoffs. This really put a damper on the yearly spring version of LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan. But worry no more. It appears a replacement is on the way. It has been hard to guess what would be next, but the Debate King Skip Bayless gave us a little clue today. Check it out:

Now, don’t be fooled. Bayless asking if he will be the number two is just the tease. This will, undoubtedly, lead to some full-on Durant vs. MJ debates in every way possible. Yes, that even means after some missed free throws on a Tuesday night in November. Because, you know, Jordan would have made them!

LeBron’s days of chasing Jordan are all but over; he isn’t going to win three more championships and he is quickly falling down on the list of best players in the NBA today. So, naturally, he doesn’t just need an heir as the NBA’s best player, but also someone to fill his role on the debate shows. Not to say we should be expecting that much less LeBron talk. We shouldn’t, just less in this category. Durant vs. Jordan checks off all the boxes and will lead to some interesting, ferocious social media fights.

Oh, and what if Durant leaves Golden State? I am down for some “MJ would never have left a good team” talk. These things are probably cyclical, to be fair. Durant is 30 and likely won’t hear his name in this type of debate for too long. Giannis Antetokounmpo, get ready, man!

If Durant truly gets inserted into this debate, and I think he will, it will be fascinating. You can’t help but wonder how Durant, the most thin-skinned player alive, will respond to something like that. It is a tad disappointing that it looks like Skip Bayless could be leading this charge. It would have been nice to see an up-and-comer breakthrough debating this sort of thing (new column idea?).