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LeBron James #23 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is defended by Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors during the first half in Game 5 of the 2017 NBA Finals at ORACLE Arena on June 12, 2017, in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) |
It took the National Basketball Association a few decades into its existence for the idea to take hold that basketball generations are defined by the stars inside them.
This is a well-known example of how Larry Bird and Magic Johnson in the 1980s altered the league and how we view the game. Imagine how we would have responded today to the fights between Bill Russell and Wilt Chamberlain from two decades ago.
In the past 40 years, a lot more all-time greats have joined and left the league. Shaquille O'Neal, Tim Duncan, Tim Bryant, Michael Jordan, and others come to mind. It will be fortunate to discover another Bird and Magic, a rivalry between two athletes who are simultaneously mastering their respective sports, however even with the magical nature of the NBA's storytelling, there are dozens of other hot subplots that we don't have time to go through. With a look at those Los Angeles Lakers in "Winning Time: The Birth of the Lakers Dynasty," HBO has enough material to give its own imaginative interpretation of the story.
That specific thing is still being sought after. And the truth is, that shouldn't be considered a drawback. For just that reason, Bird and Magic will endure.
The finest we've seen since are Kevin Durant and LeBron James in terms of two men reaching the pinnacle of basketball together in a way that unavoidably drives them to compete and show who is better.
And it's been five years since we last witnessed it; following Friday's game between the Phoenix Suns and Los Angeles Lakers, the wait will either come to an end or continue. As of Thursday night, Durant's condition for the second game of a back-to-back was unknown, despite the fact that his team had already clinched a postseason spot. James' status for the game, in which the Lakers most likely need to win to escape the play-in round, was labeled as questionable. The 12-game streak of the stars failing to appear together in the matchups between their respective teams would end if they both participate.
When Durant learned how long it had been, he was shocked.
He stated on Tuesday, "We've been through a lot of injuries, a lot of bad events. Everything is possible, so we must just keep moving forward and hope for a chance to play on Friday.
Regrettably, we have reached the stage where we must consider how many more opportunities we will have to enjoy basketball. James is 38 years old, and even while I believe he will continue to play at a high level until he proves otherwise like the cyborg he is (even if it continues into his 40s), it doesn't mean he won't. Durant, 34, is still in his prime and is on a similar track.
The great majority of intra-NBA rivalries today don't involve animosity, despite popular belief. There's a misperception that it doesn't count as a "rivalry" unless it is added to the pot to create a mouthwatering story for everyone to savor. They no longer exist.
But competitors' fervent drive to prove they are the best will never go away, and they find the best way to do so is to compete against the other participants in the conversation. The majority of the faceoffs are brimming with admiration.
In the case of Durant and James, this is true.
Being in the league at the same time as someone who is the ultimate competitor has been wonderful, said Durant on Tuesday. "Someone you (are) motivated by simply from him, just seeing what he does on a daily basis, but also got the chance to be on... Team USA so you see other aspects of him. As a result, we have always respected one another and our games versus one another are usually exciting.
These star-on-star confrontations also invariably have a few instances of "Man, screw this guy." Fans can comprehend that it stems from that competitive attitude, similar to the few appearances that Luka Doncic and Devin Booker have previously given.
And magic is the result of that.
Shohei Ohtani was undoubtedly more concerned with ensuring that Japan won the World Baseball Classic by finishing last. Did the finest baseball player in the world like the opportunity to compete against Mike Trout, another person who bears that name, a teammate in the MLB?
Obviously, he did. They are so fantastic because of that!
Unless it occurred in the NBA Finals, we never got to see this during the biggest stakes of postseason basketball because Durant and James spent the majority of their careers playing in opposing conferences.
They ended up being present for each other's first title.
In 2012, James and the Miami Heat defeated Durant in James' favor against a young Oklahoma City team that undoubtedly had some promising prospects (Certainly! Why would anything go wrong?
Five years later, Durant had another chance to beat James for the championship with the Golden State Warriors of 2017, who are widely regarded as the best team we've ever seen. Durant had spent the season more than cheerfully playing inside Golden State's system and not saying, "Really, I'm the superstar and this is my team now." Instead, he had lessened his need for Steph Curry and company. Yet when it was just him and James once more, his alpha energy flowed forth.
During the course of a five-game 2017 Finals series, Durant averaged 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 1.6 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 55.6%.
James, on the other hand, averaged a drab 33.6 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists, one block, and 1.4 steals per game while shooting just 56.4%. Two players produced some of the best basketball we have ever seen at the highest level of the game. Durant was simply superior in his own right and had the better team. He earned both the MVP award and the ring.
When the NBA Finals met again a year later, James immediately put together one of the greatest postseason performances in sports history. James played what many there consider to be nearly perfect in Game 1, an overtime loss for his Cleveland Cavaliers, a 51-point display that he would break his hand in anger over losing after Golden State went on to sweep and Durant got to double-fist trophies again.
Possibly this is Round 4's first appearance in the same conference. There is still a remote possibility (4.8%, according to Basketball Reference) that Los Angeles will receive the fifth seed and face the fourth-seeded Phoenix, and perhaps a meeting will take place later in the bracket.
The 2018–19 season, when James' Lakers missed the playoffs, was the only time the two spent time together in the West. That offseason, Durant moved to Brooklyn, and this season, they are back together on the same coast.
This matchup has been played 35 times overall, including the postseason, per Stathead. James has a little better record than Durant, 20-15, thanks to a 15-6 regular-season record that more than offsets Durant's 9-5 advantage in the playoffs.
These are typically amazing, as you might anticipate. 56 of the two's combined 70 outings have included performances with at least 25 points, and they both score close to 30 points per contest.
Let's hope that matchup number 36 occurs as soon as possible.
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