The NBA community has been aching for a matchup between Kevin Durant and LeBron James since their last meeting in 2018.
Well, that wish is about to be fulfilled on April 07, 2023, when the Phoenix Suns will face off against the Los Angeles Lakers. Ahead of the Friday night blockbuster game, Durant shared his honest views on competing against James over the years.
“It’s been amazing,” Durant said. “Just being in the league the same time as him. Just somebody whose an ultimate competitor. Somebody that you [are] inspired by. … It’s always been a mutual respect amongst us two. It’s always been great battles when we play against each other.”
(Starts at 0:39)
"I was surprised."
Kevin Durant on having not played against LeBron James since 2018.#Suns at #Lakers on Friday. pic.twitter.com/Ha3EGJABIu
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) April 4, 2023
Kevin Durant further revealed that he was indeed “surprised” after finding out that he hadn’t played against LeBron James since the Christmas Day matchup back in 2018.
At the time, Durant was a member of the Golden State Warriors while LeBron was still donning the Cleveland Cavaliers jersey. It’s been almost five years since that game, and it’s certainly surprising, but injuries to either player have stripped fans of the joy of watching them face off against each other.
Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James Head-To-Head Matchups
Kevin Durant and LeBron James were undoubtedly two of the best players in the NBA during the 2010s. Evidently, each game between them received heavy coverage from the media, and fans were always excited about those games.
Speaking of which, who has been more dominant during those games? Well, our talented writer Kyle Dubs wrote a detailed Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James head-to-head comparison to find an answer to that question.
When it comes to the regular season, LeBron holds the lead over KD with a 15-6 record in 21 games. In those games, LBJ averaged 28.0 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 6.5 APG and shot 51.4% from the field and 35.6% from deep. On the other hand, Durant averaged 28.5 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.0 APG while shooting 48.2% from the field and 41.0% from downtown.
But during the postseason, Durant has a 9-5 record over the King. The two players have only faced off against each other in the postseason in NBA Finals due to playing in different conferences for most of their careers. In 14 games against LeBron, Durant averaged 31.7 PPG, 8.1 RPG, 4.9 APG and maintained a 54.5% shooting from the field, combined with 43.0% from deep. As for LeBron, he averaged 31.9 PPG, 10.4 RPG, 9.1 APG and shot 52.2% from the field alongside 32.3% from the three-point line.
All things considered, LeBron James still has a 20-15 overall head-to-head record and undoubtedly holds the edge over the Slim Reaper, at least for now.
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