Andre Iguodala Says LeBron James Harder to Guard Than Kawhi Leonard

By Jonathan Sherman
Updated: January 25, 2020

Two of the most difficult players to guard in the entire NBA are Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James and Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard.

According to defensive specialist Andre Iguodala, James is the harder defensive assignment between the two.

“I go with LeBron because I think he raises the level of play for the other four guys on his team,” he said. “You see those guys play in other places it’s like, ‘Where they go?’ But when they out there on the court with LeBron it’s like, ‘I gotta keep an eye on this guy.'”

James has held the reputation of being a player that makes his teammates better for essentially his entire NBA career. This season with the Lakers is no different.

Currently, James is averaging an NBA-leading 10.8 assists per game.

While there’s no doubt that Leonard can beat defenders in nearly every way imaginable, James is certainly a better playmaker and facilitator.

Interestingly, Iguodala could soon end up playing with either James or Leonard.

The veteran is currently a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, though he has yet to appear in a single game for the team.

As the trade deadline approaches, it will be interesting to see if either the Lakers or Clippers make a serious attempt to acquire the three-time champ.