Thursday night saw LeBron James and Kevin Durant finally face off in a regular season game for the first time in nearly five years, as the Los Angeles Lakers beat the Phoenix Suns 100-95. James and Durant showed respect to each other after the contest, and LeBron has now hailed his great rival as a true legend.
A true legend he indeed is. Durant has won 2 titles, 2 Finals MVPs, and 2 MVPs in what has been an amazing career. These two have clashed in some very high-pressure moments over the years, but have generally been very respectful toward each other, which has been great to see.
They had faced off in the preseason earlier this month, but this was in a game that actually mattered. For a while, it seemed like Durant would be the one coming out on top here, but James scored 10 points in the fourth quarter to lead a Lakers comeback. LeBron finished the game with 21 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks.
Durant, meanwhile, had 39 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in what was a spectacular showing. After his mediocre outing on opening night against the Golden State Warriors, there was some talk about the 35-year-old just not being the same now, but he showed he is still more than capable of playing at a high level.
Durant did slow down in the fourth quarter, however, and ultimately couldn’t overcome the absence of both Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
Kevin Durant Had Some High Praise For LeBron James Ahead Of The Game
Just as fans were eagerly waiting for this long-awaited meeting between these two, so was Durant. In the lead-up to this contest, Durant spoke on the matchup against LeBron and the Lakers.
“It’s been a long time… I’m looking forward to hooping against arguably the best ever. Always a fun challenge, and I can’t wait to see it.”
He has really showered his longtime rival with a lot of praise in recent years. Durant had hailed LeBron as one of the best to ever do it after that preseason game as well.
Earlier this year, Durant also gave James his flowers for his insane longevity. It is incredible how the 38-year-old continues to shine on the court in his 21st season in the NBA in 2023-24. If anyone had any doubts on how good LeBron was going to be, he has dispelled them very quickly.
How Did We Go So Long Without A LeBron-Durant Matchup?
It seems ridiculous that these two went so long without playing each other, so exactly how did that happen? Well, their last meeting before this one had a part to play in it.
James suffered a groin injury on Christmas Day in 2018 against Durant and the Warriors which caused him to miss their next meeting. Load management kept him out of the third meeting between the sides, and he had been shut down for the season when the fourth and final meeting came around.
Durant would miss the entire 2019-20 season as he rehabbed from a torn Achilles which robbed us of any clashes between the two. In 2020-21, he unfortunately suffered a hamstring injury a couple of weeks before the Brooklyn Nets faced the Lakers, but was back for the second meeting, but by then, James had gone down with an ankle sprain.
In 2021-22, Durant entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols a week or so before he could face LeBron and the Lakers. He then suffered a knee sprain 10 days before the second and final meeting.
Lastly, we get to 2022-23 and it was James’ turn to get injured days before the first meeting, as he went down with another groin problem. Both men would then miss the next two meetings with injuries and the Suns then opted to rest Durant for the final meeting between the sides last season.
Hopefully, these two get to play against each other four times this season and the next meeting will be on November 10.
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