All-Star Tonight at Crypto.com Arena, Phoenix Suns power forward Kevin Durant will face off against All-Star Los Angeles Lakers combo forward LeBron James for the first time in five years (yes, really).

The 6’11” former league MVP and two-time champion, who is also a top 20 all-time NBA player, paid his LA opponent possibly the highest basketball praise possible.

“It’s been a long time,” Durant said. “I’m excited to compete against arguably the best ever.” It’s always a wonderful task, and [I] can’t wait to see how it turns out.”

James, a 19-time All-Star and All-NBA selection, six-time All-Defensive Teamer, four-time MVP, four-time champion (with three different franchises), and the league’s all-time leading scorer, is widely regarded as one of the NBA’s all-time greats, standing alongside Chicago Bulls shooting guard Michael Jordan, Lakers center Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Boston Celtics center Bill Russell. Where he ranks among those other legends is a source of contention in workplaces, barbershops, and pubs across the country, and has been for decades.

In his 21st professional season, the 6’9″ superstar remains one of the best players in the world. James has averaged 27.2 points on.505/.344/.735 shooting splits, 7.5 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 1.5 steals, and 0.8 blocks in 1,422 career regular season games.

He has won titles against some of the best players in history, including Durant’s Thunder in 2012, Stephen Curry’s pre-Durant Golden State Warriors in 2016 (though James was no match for Curry and Durant on those Warriors teams, along with future Hall of Famers Draymond Green and Klay Thompson, in two subsequent matchups), and Jimmy Butler’s Miami Heat. Comparing him to Jordan, Cap, and Russell is a bit like comparing apples to oranges owing to the disparities in their respective eras.