With a matchup between the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers in the quarterfinals of the NBA In-Season Tournament on the docket in a few hours' time, there is much anticipation for yet another matchup between Kevin Durant and LeBron James. In fact, barring an unforeseen turn of events on the injury front, their Tuesday night clash will mark the third time they've faced each other in the regular season in the past five weeks, which is incredible given that the last time they squared off against each other before then came on December 25, 2018.

However, while the media loves nothing more than to hype up a matchup between two of the greatest small forwards to ever play in the NBA, the Suns star shot down the idea that he's more excited to play against the King than any other player, arguing that he's just as amped up to compete against anybody else in the league.

“I'm excited to compete against everybody in the league,” Durant answered when asked about “how juiced” he was “to have another competitive opportunity” to face LeBron James, via Trevor Booth, Suns beat reporter for ClutchPoints.

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It seems like Kevin Durant just doesn't want to hype the matchup against James and the Lakers too much, as he may end up just putting even more pressure on himself than is necessary to deliver. But of course, Durant, beyond being a true hooper as fans would call him, is a competitor first and foremost, and there's nothing that brings out the competitive spirit in someone more than the opportunity to compete against the best.

After all, Durant was able to bring out his best back in the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals, when he was able to win Finals MVP honors by being the Golden State Warriors' most reliable scoring option against LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. And Durant is also cognizant of where he stands in the all-time totem pole; he is facing up at James, so it stands to reason that there's added incentive for him to show out and prove that he's the better player.