The last decade of the NBA has been incredibly entertaining. We have seen dynasties rise and fall and, finally, the semblance of a new generation ready to take over. Two titans of the last era, LeBron James and Kevin Durant, are both in the final years of their careers.
They have shared an incredibly competitive rivalry over the years, but they share a positive off-court relationship. A video of LBJ teaching KD a hilarious spin move during the 2012 Olympics shows the fun they can have with each other. Fans couldn’t believe the camaraderie either, reacting to the hilarious video.
One fan mocked the move and said, “That is actually unstoppable. You would have to laugh mid-way through, losing all concentration.”
A fan was upset James didn’t use this shot to become the all-time leading scorer, “He should have done this for the all-time scoring record.”
Another fan said, “God damn. He shoots hook shots with his offhand like it’s nothing.”
One fan noticed that KD couldn’t hit the move in the video, “Do people realize how talented LBJ is? Even when joking he still scores with this weird but not that obvious move. Even KD couldn’t repeat.”
More fans echoed their sentiments over the shot not being used in an actual game, “10 years and I’m still waiting for him to use it in a game.”
Another fan expressed the importance of a skyhook in a player’s arsenal, “I don’t understand why there aren’t more players practicing the skyhook. The most unstoppable shot ever.”
This was a heartwarming video, given the battles they’d have in the years to come. This was fresh off James winning the 2012 Finals over KD’s Oklahoma City Thunder. Who would have thought KD would go on to win two titles over LeBron as part of arguably one of the greatest teams ever assembled?
LeBron James And Kevin Durant Have Had A Legendary Rivalry
LeBron and KD are the best forwards the modern era has produced. They are extremely versatile players with complete s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁 sets who went head-to-head 21 times in the regular season. In those games, James has a 15-6 record over Durant. James averaged 28.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in these encounters, while KD averaged 28.5 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.
Their playoff history includes three playoff series, but KD has the bragging rights there. He is 2-1 against James in the playoffs, with all three battles coming in the NBA Finals. First, James won the 2012 title over KD with the Heat in a 4-1 win. KD got his revenge in 2017 and 2018, beating James’ Cavaliers 8-1 in those two Finals. James has herculean averages of 31.9 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 9.1 assists against KD in the Finals, while KD has 31.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, and 4.9 assists, along with two Finals MVPs to his name.
KD’s era with the Warriors hurts the overall narrative of their rivalry, especially given how it impacted LBJ’s individual rivalry with Stephen Curry as well. James’ Cavaliers had no chance against them two on the Warriors together.
Now, all three icons are on different teams in the Pacific division. James faced Curry in the playoffs in 2023, so we can only hope for another matchup with Durant before James walks into the sunset. KD and James haven’t played each other in a head-to-head matchup since December 2018, so we hope that changes this season.
Source: fadeawayworld.net
