In Friday’s postgame press conference in Phoenix this week, LeBron James did not mince words when he reflected on his relationship with two-way star, Kevin Durant. While acknowledging his impact on the game, LeBron also called it an “honor” to share the court with his long-time “rival.”
“Our first home game this season was against Phoenix so we talked about it post-game and talked to the media about how special it is going against KD, one of the greatest to ever play this game. We’ve had so many matchups throughout our careers. I’ve had an opportunity to play with him on the Olympic team as well. We both have made our mark on the history of this game so it’s always an honor to share the floor with him. Unbelievably talented guy, one of the best players to ever play this game.”
"We both have made our mark in the history of this game… it's always an honor to share the floor with him."
LBJ on KD 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/nFfpCAyqFR
— NBA (@NBA) November 11, 2023
LeBron and Durant may be considered positional rivals, but their love and respect for each other have been well-documented over the years. After many battles and countless moments of sharing and fighting over the spotlight of success, the careers of LeBron and Durant are forever intertwined.
A Complicated History For James And Durant
The start of this story begins in 2007 when Kevin Durant was first drafted into the NBA. At the time, LeBron was already several years into his career and hadn’t yet established himself as one of the greatest players ever. But when Kevin Durant became a star of his own years later, fans couldn’t help but compare him to No. 23 himself. The 2012 Finals between the Thunder and Heat was the next phase of the story, and it set the stage for a legacy battle between the NBA superstars. LeBron came out on top initially, sending home Durant and his ultra-young Thunder team in 5 games. But in 2017, Durant came back for revenge by joining the Warriors and finally beating LeBron for a title in back-to-back seasons.
Today, while Kevin Durant has done a lot to establish his place in NBA history, he still doesn’t hold a candle to LeBron, who is a 4x champion, 4x MVP, and 19x All-Star. At this point in their careers, there is no denying that the end is approaching but let’s hope that we get to see these legends battle it out at least a few more times before it’s all said and done.
Suns Vs. Lakers In 2023
Looking ahead, it’s hard to see which player has the better odds for success. So far this season, the Suns and Lakers have split their two games against each other and they both have an identical win-loss record through 9 games. For Durant and the Suns, it’s hard to count them out given the degree of top-end talent at their disposal. With Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal, Phoenix has some serious fire-power to work with and they are expected to pose a major threat if they can get healthy this season.
Meanwhile, in Los Angeles, LeBron is looking to right the ship after a rocky start. While a 4-5 start is certainly better than last year’s abysmal 2-10 opening, this is hardly the performance that Lakers fans were hoping to see from this team early on. Even so, LeBron James is looking fantastic and his performance this season is single-handily keeping the Lakers in the title conversation. Like it or not, all paths in the West lead through him and he will not be taking it lightly.
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