Poll: Kevin Durant vs. LeBron Jamesames

[Editor's note: Welcome to Athlon Sports' poll of the day, where we ask readers to weigh in on the biggest topic of the day. Thanks for voting, and be sure to sound off in the comment section.]

Now that the play-in tournament is over, the real NBA playoffs begin in earnest Saturday, with four of the first-round series tipping off.

The marquee matchup of the day comes out of the Western Conference, where the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets face the No. 4 seed Los Angeles Lakers. And while the Lakers are the higher seed, they face an uphill battle after losing both Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves to injuries.

But it's still a marquee matchup, because we get to once again see Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James. Between the two of them, Durant, 37, and James, 41, account for six NBA championships, six NBA Finals MVPs and 38 all-star nods.

Since this could be the last time these legends face off in a playoff series, we're not going to ask you to predict a winner. Instead…

Thanks for voting. Be sure to make your voice heard and sound off in the comments section.

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This story was originally published April 18, 2026 at 5:00 AM.