Lebron Faces Historic Rival for the First Time in Almost 5 years

Lebron James has played in the NBA for 20 years now and over this course of time has accumulated a great number of rivals. One of his most notorious Rivals is Kevin Durant and the two rekindled their rivalry by playing against one another for the first time in almost 5 years.

James vs Durant

Both LeBron James and Kevin Durant are regarded as two of the greatest players to have ever played the game of basketball. Coincidentally, they played the same position and were active during the same era. This meant that they went head to head directly in many matchups, unlike other notable rivals who played different positions, such as Magic Johnson and Larry Bird, or Michael Jordan and Karl Malone.

This rivalry hit its peak around 2012 when the two met in the NBA Finals for the first of three such encounters. They were both on the best teams at the time, and they were the two best players on the planet. They came first and second in MVP voting between them for three consecutive seasons.


In terms of MVP awards, LeBron has won four, compared to Durant's tally. However, Durant has certainly made up for this with his 2-1 Finals record against LeBron, including winning back-to-back championships with the Golden State Warriors. After over 5 years since their Finals battles, they faced each other once more during a preseason game this week when the Lakers took on the Suns. Both stars may be in their late 30s now, but they showed they still have it and set the tone for what will likely be the first of multiple encounters this upcoming season.

Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James head to head matchup numbers:

LBJ: 15 | KD: 6
KD: 28.5 PPG | LBJ: 28.0 PPG
LBJ: 7.3 RPG | KD: 6.7 RPG

KD is 9-5 vs. LBJ in the playoffs. pic.twitter.com/PG9mZNmfz2— Oh no he didn't (@ohnohedidnt24) October 19, 2023

Kevin Durant vs Lebron James head to head playoff stats:

31.3 ppg 31.9 ppg
8.1 rpg 10.4 rpg
4.9 apg 9.1 apg

55/43/91 52/32/78
9 wins 5 wins

Some great duels between them🔥 pic.twitter.com/urrECzVvJE— DurantMuse (@DurantMuse_) June 28, 2023

5 Year Absence

It is shocking to think that in five years, these two superstars haven't faced off, considering they have both been active in the NBA during this period. The reasons for this are quite simple; they have been playing in opposite conferences, leading to fewer games against each other's teams. Additionally, with their combined 35 seasons in the NBA, they have both faced injury troubles over the last few years.

The most notable injury was Durant's Achilles injury in 2019, which saw him miss the entirety of the following season. As they are getting older, neither player is expected to play more than 70 games per season. However, when healthy, they are both considered top-10 players, and they will likely each reach the playoffs.

This situation opens up an exciting opportunity for them to face each other in the playoffs, which is now greater than ever, as both players are set to play their first full season in the same conference. Furthermore, they are in the same division, which will give them extra opportunities to face off during the regular season.

Both the Suns, led by Durant, and the Lakers, led by James, are among the title favorites this season. Therefore, a playoff series between these two superstar teams will be as thrilling as ever if they manage to stay healthy.

my 2023-24 NBA championship favorites rankings:

1. BOS
2. MIL
3. DEN
4. PHO 🔃 GSW/LAL
5. LAL 🔃 GSW/PHO
6. GSW 🔃 LAL/PHO
7. MIA 🔃 PHI
8. PHI 🔃 MIA
9. CLE 🔃 MEM
10. MEM 🔃 CLE

thoughts? pic.twitter.com/AbBWv46yrj— ang🐊 (@middlenamessean) October 12, 2023

Suns vs lakers

While only a preseason game and both teams not playing at full intensity, the recent matchup between the Suns and Lakers showed the world that there is more to see in a LeBron vs. Durant rivalry. In around 20 minutes each, both players led their teams in scoring, with LeBron finishing with 19 points and Durant finishing with 21.

It is a testament to both players' conditioning that they are still leading their teams despite playing with much younger superstars beside them, such as Devin Booker and Anthony Davis. This only makes their historic rivalry that much more impressive, as they've been going at it for a decade-plus at this point.

The Suns managed to get the win on this occasion, beating the Lakers 123-100, but you can be sure that once the regular season starts, it will not be as easy for them.

You can watch the full game highlights below.


Credits
startribune