When NBA superstar LeBron James chose to sign with the 76ers this summer, it began a shift in the balance of power we haven’t seen in years. The closest modern-day comparison is Kevin Durant to the Warriors in 2017, but not everyone agrees on how they stack up.
Kevin Durant believes that the new-look 76ers (with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown) are a better team than the Warriors ever were, and he threw his former teammates under the bus to prove his point. In response, Warriors veteran Draymond Green initially responded with confusion and mockery for underestimating/disrespecting the Warriors dynasty.
Draymond Green in response to Kevin Durant’s recent Threads post 👀
“Slim thought he was on his burner?” https://t.co/eSqy6Wzb3o pic.twitter.com/GPO6T9hzDd
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) August 4, 2026
Green made it clear that he strongly disagrees with Durant, and it seems former Warriors guard Klay Thompson also took issue with the statement. Nevertheless, Draymond explained why Kevin holds the 76ers in such high regard against a team that won two straight championships.
“That’s KD giving them their respect… You have to understand the way KD views basketball. The way KD views basketball is very Uncle Drew-ish; this game will and always will be about buckets,” said Green on his podcast. “So he’s going to mention the 25-point scorers. He also said the Sixers are better on paper than the 2016-17 Warriors. I don’t know that I can agree with that, and I don’t really think it works.”
Durant was widely ridiculed for his decision to join the Warriors and team up with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. At the time, the Warriors were coming off a 73-win season, and the addition of Durant made them nearly unbeatable for three years. At the peak of his powers, Durant led the team to two straight championships in three Finals appearances, forever changing his place in history.
For some, LeBron’s move to the 76ers this summer shares many similarities to Durant’s decision, but Draymond argues that it’s not the same. For the Warriors, there was an ideal blend of scoring, defense, and playmaking that covered virtually all vulnerabilities. They had also won the title before Durant’s arrival. The 76ers’ core, meanwhile, is mostly specialized in scoring, led by Tyrese Maxey, V.J. Edgecombe, LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and Anfernee Simons. Much of the roster is young and inexperienced, while others (like Joel Embiid) have long and extensive medical histories.
So while Kevin Durant greatly values their scoring talent, you could argue that having a more varied and balanced core is the best way to go. In that respect, it’s hard to do better than the Warriors at the peak of their dynasty. They had everything, and the result was historic levels of success. Philadelphia is not there yet, but it’s debatable whether or not they can ever get there.
Ultimately, only time will tell who is right, but replicating the success of such an iconic winning team isn’t easily done. As much as Durant believes in the new-look 76ers, they still have a lot to prove before anyone can rightfully compare them to the 2017 Warriors.
