Kevin Durant pays Jayson Tatum the ultimate compliment

Basketball is a team construct, but players with the deepest bags dominate the one-on-one quotient of the game within the game. As such, the ultimate compliment a hooper can pay a peer is to admit that they could potentially best them in a mano-a-mano battle.

Kevin Durant, one of the most skilled players ever, did exactly that when asked if he's open to participating in the rumored one-on-one tournament at next year's All-Star weekend. 

"I can win this, but I can also lose, too," Durant told "The Draymond Green Show" recently. "I played once with Jayson Tatum, and he got cooking, making shots after shots over every contest. I played once with Kyrie [Irving], and he can't miss. I would say JT, Kyrie for the simple fact that I actually played [one-on-one] against them." 

The Suns forward named Joel Embiid, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards as others who could thrive in the tournament. But it's rather telling that Tatum was the first player he named. 

Besides sharing the Team USA locker room with Tatum multiple times, Durant saw firsthand the Celtics star's skillset when they matched up in the 2021 and 2022 playoffs. In back-to-back seasons, Tatum outshone Durant as the Celtics sent the Nets packing in the first round. In 2022, Tatum did a tremendous job guarding Durant one-on-one, holding him to 38 percent shooting. Suffice it to say, Tatum earned Durant's respect in those consecutive playoff series.

Durant's comments come at a time when Tatum admittedly feels underappreciated for his achievements and his talents. He ought to feel better knowing Durant holds him in such high regard.