“Have we forgotten Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Klay Thompson together?”: Lakers’ LeBron James believes the Nets’ Big 3 with James Harden are not on the 2016-19 Warriors’ level

LeBron James says Kevin Durant was surrounded by more star power during his Warriors days than with Kyrie Irving and James Harden.

The Brooklyn Nets have punted on yet another Big 3 with a blockbuster trade this year. Unlike 2013, when they acquired 3 aged veterans, they now have 3 All-NBA players at the peak of their powers.

The contrast between 2013 and 2021 could not be clearer. While the Nets have mortgaged their future once again with this trade, a single championship could be worth all of it. Kevin Durant is still playing close to his peak powers, so Brooklyn had to do right by his talent.

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The Lakers are defending champions this year, and were tipped to repeat this year after the offseason ended. With the Harden trade now complete, however, their status as favorites is no longer clear-cut.

LeBron James believes Kevin Durant had more star power in Oakland than in Brooklyn

LeBron James led the Lakers to a win over the Timberwolves with a dominant performance last night. His 30-point total on 12-of-20 shooting from the field catapulted Lakers nation to a routine win over a basement team.

James appeared to be content with the performance of his Lakers in the post-game presser. He was asked about their next opponents – the Big 3 Nets.

James was directly asked to compare the star power of these Nets to any he’d faced before. His response was an obvious, but a sobering one:

“Have we forgot about KD, Steph, and Klay already?”

LeBron on if there’s a comparison to the Nets’ star power: “Have we forgot about KD, Steph, and Klay already?”

— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) February 17, 2021

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James knows better than anyone how great the KD-era Warriors were. His Cavs team made it to the Finals in his final season with Kyrie Irving on the back of a 12-1 run in the East. They were destroyed in all aspects of the game in the 4-1 beatdown they suffered.

Kevin Durant had himself a 35-point average during the Finals, winning the first of his 2 Finals MVPs. In talent terms, the Nets’ current Big 3 may be more potent than the Warriors’ Big 3. But it’s not a contest when you compare both rosters top to bottom. The Warriors win in a landslide.