As far as skill and talent are concerned, Kevin Durant is at the top of the list with anybody in NBA history. Standing nearly seven feet tall, Durant has presented one of the toughest defensive assignments over the last two decades. With his ability to handle the ball, create his own shot, and knock down shots from anywhere on the court, Durant has made many of his peers in the NBA feel lost on the court when facing him. He has dominated certain players over the course of his career and taken down some extremely difficult playoff and Finals competition. However, there are a few players that have gotten the best of Easy Money Sniper.
Just as we did with LeBron James a few weeks ago, we are about to dive into the 20 NBA players who have the highest career win percentage against Kevin Durant in his career. Now, I will be honest and fair and admit that many of these players relied on others to deliver a majority of their victories against Durant. There were also a few who did their fair share and earned their advantageous record against him as well. Today, we add all of that context in more as we dive into some of Durant’s toughest matchups.
These are the 20 NBA players with the highest career win percentage against Kevin Durant.
Rule: Players must have played at least 15 games against Kevin Durant to qualify for this list.
20. James Jones – 56.2%
Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 9-7
Kicking things off, we have the longtime NBA veteran and current Phoenix Suns General Manager/President of Operations, James Jones. For the entirety of his 14-year NBA career, Jons was a role player off the bench and quite the dangerous three-point option. Jones never earned any All-Star selections or any other individual accolades but he would go on to win three NBA championships with the Heat and Cavaliers later on in his career.
Against Durant, Jones was hardly a factor. The two met mostly when Jones was with the Heat and Cavaliers from 2009 thru 2017. Jones averaged just 2.1 PPG and 1.1 RPG in the 16 games against Durant’s teams in his career. Four of Durant’s nine losses to Jones can be attributed to the 2012 NBA Finals, in which Durant’s Thunder lost to the Heat. Most of Durant’s wins would be from the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals, in which Durant and the Warriors would go 8-1 against the Cavaliers. Now, Durant is employed by Jones on the Phoenix Suns, and they have joined forces in their quest for another NBA championship.
T19. Andrew Bynum – 57.1%
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 12-9
Next up is former Lakers big man Andrew Bynum. Durant and Bynum would match up 21 times between the regular season and playoffs, with Bynum grabbing a 12-9 advantage. Bynum was a former two-way star for the Lakers from 2006 thru 2012. Bynum was a member of two NBA championship teams in Los Angeles and earned an All-Star appearance in 2012, averaging 18.7 PPG, 11.8 RPG, and 1.9 BPG. However, Bynum would miss the entire following season with a knee injury that would eventually end his career at just 26 years old.
Durant and Bynum met mostly when the Lakers and Thunder matched up from 2009 thru 2012. Bynum averaged 14.9 PPG, 9.6 RPG, and 2.2 BPG in their 21 games against each other, while Durant averaged 26.2 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 3.0 APG. Durant would have seven different games against the Lakers with at least 30 points but could never seal the deal more often than not.
T19. Eric Gordon – 57.1%
Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 16-12
Eric Gordon just completed his 15th NBA season in 2022-23 having returned to where it all began back in 2008-09 with the Los Angeles Clippers. Gordon has been a steady scorer for most of his career, with an average of 16.0 PPG over the course of 15 seasons as well as multiple seasons averaging over 20.0 PPG. Gordon is a former Sixth Man of the Year as well, earning the award in 2017 with 16.2 PPG for the Rockets.
Where Gordon has a huge upper hand over Durant in their matchups is in the regular season. Gordon and his teams are 11-5 against Durant in the regular season, while Durant has the advantage in the playoffs 7-5. In the playoffs, Durant averaged 31.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, and 3.4 APG against Gordon, while Gordon has put up a fight with 20.3 PPG on 43.9% shooting. There will be more added to this record as the first-round series unfolds between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Clippers in 2023.
T19. LeBron James – 57.1%
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 20-15
The battles that have gone on between LeBron James and Kevin Durant are legendary. It is just too bad that we haven’t seen them go head-to-head since 2018. They have met a total of three times in the NBA Finals in their career, and at one point, Kevin Durant was the only player in the NBA to challenge LeBron at his peak. James, of course, just became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer and is a four-time NBA champion as well as four-time MVP and Finals MVP in his career.
When they have gone head-to-head in the regular season, it has been all LeBron, as he has led his teams to 15 wins in 21 games averaging 28.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, and 6.5 APG. In the playoffs, Durant holds a 9-5 advantage over James. LeBron, of course, captured the NBA title in 2012 over Durant’s Thunder when he was with the Heat. Durant won back-to-back NBA championships with the Warriors in 2017 and 2018 over LeBron’s Cavaliers. In the playoffs, James and Durant have averaged over 31.0 PPG against each other, with LeBron holding the advantage in rebounds and assists while Durant holds the advantage in wins.
16. Al Horford – 57.7%
Credit: Brian Fluharty-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 15-11
Al Horford has always been a beloved member of any franchise he has gone to over the last 16 seasons. With the Hawks in the first nine seasons of his career, Horford was a four-time All-Star and All-NBA Team selection. With the Celtics, with whom he spent time from 2017 thru 2019 and 2022 to the present, Horford became an All-Star once again and earned his first career All-Defensive Team selection in 2018. Horford was also a big reason why the Celtics were able to sweep the Nets in the playoffs en route to an NBA Finals appearance.
In the regular season, Horford and Durant have split their games against one another at 11 apiece. Horford has averaged a modest 12.7 PPG to go along with 9.5 RPG and 1.7 BPG, while Durant has averaged 27.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.3 BPG. The four-game sweep in the first round of the 2022 NBA playoffs is the only time that Horford and Durant have met in the playoffs. Horford averaged 13.0 PPG and 7.5 RPG in that series while playing outstanding interior defense.
T15. Marcus Camby – 58.8%
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 10-7
Marcus Camby had already put in 11 seasons of service in the NBA before Kevin Durant made his NBA debut in 2007-08. Camby was a former second-overall pick by the Raptors in 1996 and would go on to become one of the great defensive big men of the 2000s. Camby would earn four blocks titles in his career as well as four All-Defensive Team selections as well as a Defensive Player of the Year in 2006-07, the season before Durant joined the NBA.
All 17 of the contests between Camby and Durant would come in the regular season until Camby’s retirement in 2013. In those 17 regular season games, Camby got 16 starts and averaged 10.1 PPG, 10.9 RPG, and 1.7 BPG. Durant, on the other hand, averaged 26.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.5 SPG, and 1.2 BPG. All of Durant’s games against Camby would come when he was still a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
T15. DeShawn Stevenson – 58.8%
Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 10-7
DeShawn Stevenson is most well-known for the choice of words he had for players such as LeBron James throughout his career. Stevenson was also known to be a tough and physical player who played 13 seasons in the NBA with six different teams. Stevenson was sought after for his defensive ability and his availability, as he had multiple seasons of 82 games played at his peak.
Stevenson and Durant met 12 times during the regular season, and they split those games at six apiece. Stevenson received eight of 12 starts and averaged just 6.5 PPG and 2.2 RPG, while Durant poured in 27.5 PPG on 47.8% shooting. Stevenson was a starter in the Conference Finals against the Thunder in 2011 with the Mavericks. The Mavericks would win the series in five games, but Stevenson averaged just 4.0 PPG while Durant averaged 28.0 PPG. Stevenson was a part of the team, but the effect he had on success against Durant was less than minimal.
T15. Andrei Kirilenko – 58.8%
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Record: 10-7
Andrei Kirilenko is easily one of the most underrated players of the 2000s and 2010s, mostly because defense is not as celebrated as it once was. Kirilenko is a former All-Star and blocks champion during the 2004 and 2005 seasons who could average 16.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, and 3.0 BPG at his peak. Kirilenko would earn three All-Defensive Team selections in his career as well and play an entire decade with the Utah Jazz from 2002 thru 2011.
Kirilenko and Durant’s matchups all came in the regular season toward the end of Kirilenko’s stay in Utah. Kirilenko started 12 of the 17 games and averaged 10.9 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.1 SPG, and 1.3 BPG. Durant didn’t mind seeing Utah and Kirilenko across from him. He averaged 25.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 1.4 SPG, and 1.1 BPG in those matchups.
12. Jerryd Bayless – 59.1%
Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 13-9
Jerryd Bayless was an 11-year veteran of the NBA from 2009 thru 2019 with the Trail Blazers, Hornets, Raptors, Grizzlies, Celtics, Bucks, Sixers, and Timberwolves. Bayless was decent at his peak, where he could average 11.0 PPG and 3.8 APG off the bench. Bayless was never a game-changer or big-time player off the bench for any of the teams he played with, but he did get lucky against Durant.
Bayless and Durant met 17 times in the regular season, with Bayless’ teams holding a slight 9-8 advantage. Bayless made just two starts in those games and averaged 9.2 PPG. Durant was different as he started all 17 games and averaged 24.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 4.2 APG, and 1.2 SPG. Bayless also holds this record over Durant by being fortunate enough to be a part of the Grit and Grind Grizzlies that went to the Western Conference Finals in 2013. Bayless came off the bench for those Memphis teams and saw just over 22.0 minutes of action with 9.0 PPG.
T11. Chuck Hayes – 60.0%
Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 12-8
The next player with the best career winning percentage against Kevin Durant is Chuck Hayes, who played 11 seasons in the NBA from 2006 thru 2016. Hayes was never an All-Star level player with the Rockets, Kings, or Raptors in his career, but he did earn two seasons as the starting center in 2010 and 2011 while in Houston. The 2011 season was his best as a pro when he averaged 7.9 PPG and 8.1 RPG in 63 starts and 74 appearances.
All 20 of Durant and Hayes’ matchups would come during the regular season and mostly when Hayes was with Houston. Hayes would only get nine starts in these 20 games and saw less than 20.0 minutes on the court with 4.4 PPG and 4.9 RPG. As for Durant, he averaged 24.4 PPG, 6.5 RPG, and 1.7 SPG in these contests, but Hayes’ teams prevailed more often.
T11. Shaun Livingston – 60.0%
Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 12-8
After being drafted fourth overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2004, Shaun Livingston was well on his way to becoming a potential All-Star before suffering one of the most gruesome injuries in NBA history. It took him a long time to get back, but when he finally did, he eventually became a key piece on three NBA championship teams, including two as teammates with Kevin Durant.
Durant and Livingston met 13 times as Livingston was still recovering from his knee injury. In those games, Livingston’s teams won eight of the matchups while Livingston had just two starts with 6.8 PPG. Durant was deadly in these matchups, with 28.1 PPG on 52.5% shooting from the floor. As for the playoffs, Livingston was a member of the 2016 Warriors that eliminated Durant’s Thunder in seven games in the Western Conference Finals. Livingston came off the bench in all seven games of that series to average 3.9 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and 2.0 APG in 16.0 minutes of play.
9. Andre Iguodala – 61.7%
Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 17-11
Andre Iguodala is another player on this list who has been both a teammate and an opponent of Durant in the past. Iguodala began his career with the Sixers back in 2004-05, where he would eventually become an All-Star and nearly a 20.0 PPG scorer. In 2013-14, he joined the Warriors and helped them become the dynasty they are known as today. This included a Finals MVP performance in 2015 to help the Warriors win their first championship since 1975.
In the regular season, Iguodala and Durant would be opponents 21 times, with Iguodala’s teams winning 13 of the matchups. Iguodala started 13 of the 21 games averaging 10.7 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 4.4 APG, and 1.6 SPG. Durant would average 26.9 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.1 BPG in these games as well. Iguodala would, of course, be a part of the 2016 team that took down the Thunder in the Conference Finals, which accounts for their seven playoff meetings.
8. Lamar Odom – 65.4%
Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 17-9
For most of Kevin Durant’s early career, Lamar Odom was a key member of championship-winning Lakers teams that were tough for anybody to beat. He came over in one of the greatest trades in team history in 2004-05. Odom was a member of these Lakers teams from 2005 thru 2011 and the winner of NBA championships in 2009 and 2010. Odom was a do-it-all forward for the Lakers during these championship runs and excelled as a scorer, defender, playmaker, and passer as he won the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year in 2011 and became a beloved member of Lakers history.
Against Durant in the regular season, Odom’s teams took home the win 13 times out of 20. Odom averaged 10.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, and 1.9 APG, mostly off the bench. Durant was young but still a bona fide scorer with 26.3 PPG on 44.8% shooting overall. As for the playoffs, Durant and Odom met once when Odom had been relegated to a bench role. He averaged 7.8 PPG and 6.8 RPG for the series as the Lakers eliminated the Thunder in 2010.
T7. Shane Battier – 66.7%
Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 20-10
As far as role players go, Shane Battier is one of the best we have seen over the last 20 years in the NBA. Battier was a solid defender and could catch fire from the outside as a shooter. At his peak, Battier was an All-Defensive talent who could provide 10.0 PPG and 5.0 RPG on any given night. He helped the Heat win back-to-back championships in 2012 and 2013 appearing mostly off the bench and shooting well from beyond the arc.
In his meetings with Durant, Battier’s teams dominated the regular season with 13 wins in 18 chances. Battier had a little something to do with that, though, as he made five starts but averaged 30.0 minutes of time off the bench. Durant wasn’t slowed all that much either, with 28.2 PPG. In the playoffs, these two met in 12 games with each team winning one series. This includes the 2012 NBA Finals when Battier was with Miami when they defeated the Thunder in six games.
T7. Anderson Varejao – 66.7%
Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 12-6
By the time Anderson Varejao faced off against Kevin Durant, he was only a fraction of the player he once was at his peak with the Cavaliers. Varejao would peak as an All-Defensive talent with the Cavaliers in 2010 but struggled with injuries for most of his career. By 2011, just seven years after his debut, Varejao would play more than 55 games in a season just one more time and under 35 games three times.
Of the times he was actually on the court against Durant, it was only off the bench and for 20 minutes per game. Varejao was averaging just 5.3 PPG and 6.4 RPG in their regular season matchups in which Varejao’s teams won eight out of 12. In their lone playoff matchup, Varejao played less than 4.0 minutes per game, while Durant averaged over 30.0 PPG and lost the series.
5. Leandro Barbosa – 70.4%
Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 19-8
Leandro Barbosa is another NBA veteran who benefited by being a member of some really great teams during his career against Durant. In his career mostly with the Suns and Warriors, Barbosa would begin his career as a decent scorer and defender off the bench for Phoenix. He won a Sixth Man of the Year award in 2007, averaging over 18.0 PPG. Later in his career, Barbosa joined the Warriors and won an NBA championship in 2015.
Barbosa is yet another player on this list who can claim four wins from the 2016 meltdown by Durant’s Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. For the other 20 games, Barbosa’s teams were 15-5 against Durant. Barbosa saw decent minutes off the bench and averaged 11.0 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, and 1.0 SPG. Durant’s teams were no match, but he did fairly well, averaging 27.0 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.1 BPG.
4. Jordan Farmar – 71.4%
Credit: Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 15-6
Jordan Farmar spent 11 seasons in the NBA as a backup point guard with the Lakers, Nets, Clippers, Grizzlies, and Kings. He began his career with the Lakers in 2006-07 and by his second season, was receiving significant minutes on a championship contender. He peaked around 9.0 PPG and just over 2.0 APG, but it was a great reprieve for the Lakers starters. Farmar would win two NBA championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.
Farmar and Durant, just like Lamar Odom, would meet in the 2010 playoffs, where the Lakers eliminated the Thunder in six games. Farmar hardly played those games and averaged just 5.5 PPG. In the regular season, Farmar’s teams were 11-4 against Durant. Once again, Farmar came off the bench to average around 8.1 PPG and 2.1 APG.
3. Derek Fisher – 76.2%
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 16-5
Yet another member of the 2000s and 2010s dominant Lakers teams makes his way into the top three of our list. Derek Fisher was the starting point guard for three of the Lakers’ five NBA championships won from 2000 thru 2010 and the backup for the other two. Fisher proved valuable over the years for all of the intangibles he brought to the table, such as his ability to knock down clutch shots and never be too scared when his name was called upon.
Fisher will be the third but not final member of this list to benefit from the 2010 defeat at the hands of the Lakers in six games. Fisher started all six of those games and averaged 10.2 PPG, 3.3 APG, and 1.0 SPG. In the regular season, the Lakers were 12-3 against the Thunder when Fisher was there, with Fisher getting all 15 starts. He averaged only 9.5 PPG and 2.6 APG, while Durant averaged 25.2 PPG on 44.8% shooting.
2. Carmelo Anthony – 76.5%
Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 13-4
It feels downright wrong that we only ever got to see Carmelo Anthony and Kevin Durant battle it out 17 times on the court. At their peaks, they are two of the greatest three-level threats in NBA history and among the top 10 greatest scorers ever. Carmelo Anthony is a former scoring champion and perennial All-Star that never got to chase championship glory in his career but is still one of the better talents we have seen over the last 25 years. He was strong, patient, and as skilled as anyone in the league with the ball in his hands.
All 17 matchups in which Carmelo and Durant actually faced off were in the regular season. Carmelo was a starter all 17 times and averaged 25.0 PPG, 6.4 RPG, and 3.1 APG. On an individual level, Durant outplayed Anthony slightly, but it didn’t amount to team wins. In those 17 games, Durant averaged 28.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 1.2 BPG and shot the ball 44.0% from the field.
1. Luke Walton – 82.4%
Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Record Against Kevin Durant: 14-3
Finally, the player with the highest career winning percentage against Kevin Durant has arrived. That player only lost three times to Durant in his career, and that player is Luke Walton. For most of his career, Walton was a bench player who earned a role as a backup forward with the Lakers and Cavaliers for 11 seasons. Walton was not going to give his team much more than 7.0 PPG and 3.0 RPG on any given night, but he did make some great high-IQ plays more often than not. Walton would win two NBA championships with the Lakers in 2009 and 2010.
Luke Walton is the final member of the 2010 Lakers to claim four playoff wins over Kevin Durant, but that is not the overwhelmingly dominant record. Walton’s Lakers were 11-1 against Durant in the regular season in Walton’s career. Of course, those were obviously more to do with Kobe and Pau than anything, with Walton’s 5.6 PPG and 3.8 RPG being little help. For Durant, those early 2010s Lakers teams were a nightmare for him to overcome, but I would say he turned out just fine.
Source: fadeawayworld
