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LOS ANGELES (AP) — LeBron James and Kevin Durant first faced each other in the playoffs way back in 2012, when the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder to win James’ first NBA championship.
The superstars met again in 2017 and 2018, and Durant’s Golden State Warriors beat James’ Cleveland Cavaliers to win Durant’s two rings.
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The two greatest scorers of this generation are matched up once again in the postseason this weekend when Durant and his Houston Rockets visit James’ Los Angeles Lakers. Game 1 is Saturday night in the latest chapter of this friendly rivalry, and the basketball world will be watching.
“It’s prime time,” Rockets coach Ime Udoka said. “Two of the best, and still doing it at this stage in their careers. And they have had some battles in the playoffs, but not a ton being in the East and the West a lot. So that part alone has a lot of storylines, a lot of history. I’m sure this will add to their chapters.”
The 41-year-old James is the top scorer in NBA history, and the 37-year-old Durant is fifth. While this fourth engagement might turn out to be their final spring meeting — and maybe even James’ final playoff appearance, who knows? — they’re both thinking mostly about the task before them, not the history behind them.
“It’s always great playing against great players,” Durant said. “You feel their presence on the floor, even if you’re not matched up with them. But it’s just like all basketball players know, it’s much more than just one player. You need a whole group of guys to go out there and win … but yeah, the matchup is definitely fun. Two great players who’ve been in the league for a long time. But everybody who’s involved in this series knows it’s much deeper than that.”
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Indeed, their shared playoff history only underlines the importance of a supporting cast, even for players of their stature.
James’ Heatles were too much for a young Thunder group led by Durant, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. The Warriors then became arguably the most loaded team in recent NBA history when Durant chose to join Stephen Curry, and it…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/kevin-durant-lebron-james-meet-220936034.html
Author : GREG BEACHAM
Publish date : 2026-04-17 22:09:00
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