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Michael Beasley Claims That He’s As Talented As LeBron James And Kevin Durant

Michael Beasley’s NBA career has been a rollercoaster ride ever since he was drafted second overall by the Miami Heat, in the 2008 NBA Draft.

After a somewhat promising start in the NBA, constant off-court problems slowed Beasley’s development and value.  After not finding a new team for the 2015-16 season, Beasley went to China, where he, just like in his college days, was the star again. Winning the league’s MVP helped him to get back into the NBA. Ever since, he has matured, doesn’t seem to be a problem in the locker room or off the court anymore, and has become a productive bench player in recent years.

In an interview with Bleacher Report, Beasley spoke about his NBA career and how he regards himself as a player. He believes that he is just as talented as LeBron and Durant:

“[It’s] mostly perception. As far as talent-wise, I match up with Kevin [Durant], LeBron, I match up with the best guys in the world,” Beasley says. “I’m not being cocky; it’s just always how I felt. But I got into trouble as soon as I got into the NBA, and it left a bad taste in a lot of people’s mouths.”

To be fair, Beasley is an insanely talented player. He was one of the best college players of this millennium. But since he wasn’t able to live up to the hype and develop his talent into something more than being a mediocre NBA player, his statement seems somewhat ridiculous. Talent isn’t all. It only is the start, everything else is hard work, professionalism and dedication.

After joining the Knicks, Beasley now has a new great chance to turn his career around for good. Carmelo Anthony has just left, leaving plenty of minutes for Beasley. In the last two years, Beasley has averaged 17.1 minutes per game with the Houston Rockets and the Milwaukee Bucks. His per-36 minute averages have actually been great at 21.7 PTS, 8.1 REB, 53% FG, and 40% 3s. Beasley will get the chance to prove that he actually is able to sustain these numbers with more minutes played. But even then, he is far away from James and Durant’s level of production