LeBron James faces a familiar enemy in the 2026 Western Conference playoffs.
As the fourth seed in the West (53-29), the Los Angeles Lakers are set for a showdown against the Houston Rockets in round one, meaning James will once again be battling against fellow NBA superstar and veteran forward Kevin Durant. Speaking ahead of Saturday’s game, nearly 12 years after their initial Finals series in 2014, LeBron reflected on the matchup and explained why he will not fall into the trap of putting all his attention solely on Durant.
“The last time we were in Houston, I told you how great he’s been since picking up a basketball. So that’s one part, obviously he’s the head of the snake,” said James, via Dave McMenamin. “But it’s the Houston Rockets, and they have some d_mn good players on that team. So, it’s not just a KD team. It’s a whole group. KD is going to do what KD does; he’s a Hall of Famer. We know that. We have to prepare not only for him, but the whole group.”
It’s no secret that LeBron holds great respect for Kevin Durant, and the feeling is mutual. Of course, that doesn’t mean things started that way. Early on, Durant was always compared to James, and he was always one step behind. In 2012, Durant and the Thunder lost to James, and it took him forming a superteam with the Warriors to finally get his revenge five years later.
Ultimately, after so long being pitted as rivals, nobody ever thought LeBron and Kevin would be on such good terms heading into yet another playoff battle. But now, at 41 and 37 respectively, they are the featured stars in one of this year’s premier matchups.
For the Lakers, without Austin Reaves and Luka Doncic, the odds are stacked against them to come out on top, but with LeBron James and a sound defensive strategy, they can develop a plan that maximizes their chances for success. As a two-time champion, former MVP, 16x All-Star, and four-time scoring leader with averages of 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.9 blocks per game on 52.0% shooting and 41.3% shooting from three, it might be easy for the Lakers to focus their energy on Durant, but the Rockets are too deep and too skilled not to turn that to their advantage.
With an all-time record of 21-11 against Durant (regular season and playoffs), LeBron knows better than anyone how to outplay him on the court. That’s why, as his son Bronny said, the Lakers must learn to trust James in all areas of the floor. Even now, after completing his 23rd regular season, he’s capable of leading this team to greatness, and he’s never been more focused.
The important thing now for role-players like Deandre Ayton, Luke Kennard, and Marcus Smart is that they take LeBron’s words to heart. As an expert rebounding team that averaged a league-high 48.1 boards per game, the Rockets present more than a few challenges outside of Durant’s influence. For the Lakers to survive, they cannot afford to overlook anyone on the other side, and they’ll have to be especially active on the boards. It will require a total collaborative effort from the team, but LeBron is confident that his team can pull off a miracle.
