Michael Beasley thinks he’s on the same talent level as LeBron and Kevin Durant

Michael Beasley is exuding all the confidence in the world by saying he’s on the same talent-level as LeBron James and Kevin Durant.

We all remember that there was a time in history when we all thought Michael Beasley was going to be one of the biggest stars in the NBA. As we know, however, things never really panned out for the former Kansas State star, as he’s had a tumultuous professional basketball career that at one point landed him in China before making his way back to the NBA.

Now with the New York Knicks, who he signed with this past August, we’re learning that not only is Beasley not done yet, but he still is of the belief that he is one of the best talents the game has to offer. No, seriously.

In an interview with Bleacher Report, Beasley pulled no punches in touting the basketball talent he has, even going so far as to say that he is still on the level in that regard of two of the best players on the planet right now.

“[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 told Bleacher Report. “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.”

You know it’s almost sad in a way, because while he might be exaggerating there a little bit in reality, the fact of the matter is there was a time where we all believed he may be on the same level as those two. Beasley was an incredible young talent with the basketball world at his fingertips. The problem was, he apparently had a lot of maturing that needed to be done, which led to him never really maximizing the potential he once had. Some may laugh off these comments by Beasley, but in some respects, he’s not really wrong.

Well, in his first year with the Knicks here, we’ll see first-hand whether or not he can make this statement ring true.