Hypothetical matchups between the greatest players and teams of different eras always ignite great debate.
Even if the debates can't be settled, that doesn't make them any less fun.
This time the conversation was sparked by new Cleveland Cavaliers guard Quinn Cook, who came up with a fun question: Who would win a two-on-two game for the ages if you paired Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James and Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant against Lakers legend Magic Johnson and Boston Celtics legend Larry Bird.
It's hard to envision a more accomplished quartet than this group, with Bird and Johnson already in the Hall of Fame and James and Durant sure to be first-ballot inductees when their times come.
But in a fantasy scenario like this there has to be a winner, and who better to debate this than FS1's Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless on "Undisputed?"
It should come as no surprise that Sharpe was on the side of James and Durant, believing the matchup wouldn't play to the strengths of Johnson and Bird.
"In a two-on-two, this matchup is not really conducive to what they do. If you put Magic Johnson in a two-on-two you take away some of his best attributes, which is court vision and being able to get up and down."
While Sharpe believes the athleticism and halfcourt game favor James and Durant, Bayless sees things differently. While James and Durant might have a sheer physical advantage, Bayless believes Johnson and Bird would have the psychological edge.
"I know them. I was around them. I saw it, live and in color, right before my eyes and I have never seen anything like the sets of intangibles those two had this side of Michael Jeffrey Jordan."
When analyzing the matchup on paper, both teams shake out pretty evenly.
James and Durant average a combined 54.1 points, 14.6 rebounds, and 11.5 assists per game. They also have five regular-season MVP awards, six Finals MVP awards, and six championships between them so far.
Johnson and Bird, on the other hand, averaged a combined 43.8 points, 17.2 rebounds, and 17.5 assists per game.
They also have six regular-season MVP awards, five Finals MVP awards, and eight championships between them.
It is also worth noting that James and Durant have faced each other in three different NBA Finals, the same number of times Johnson and Bird battled on the NBA's biggest stage.
But while both pairs of teammates were rivals at some points in their careers, they were also teammates.
James and Durant partnered to lead the United States to a gold medal in the 2012 Olympics, while Johnson and Bird were members of the legendary 1992 Dream Team.
The necessary chemistry would have already been built between these athletes, and it would be a matchup that would be worth the hype.
But since it can't be settled on the court, let the debate rage on regarding who would win this awesome fantasy matchup.
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March 12, 2021 at 06:46AM
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LeBron and KD vs. Magic and Bird, who would win this hypothetical 2-on-2? - FOXSports.com
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