Kevin Durant and LeBron James have both played with some illustrious teammates through the course of their NBA careers. Duncan Robinson believes KD’s all-time team fits better together.
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LeBron James changed the complexion of free agency in 2010 with his decision to sign with the Miami Heat. He teamed up with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade to make 4 straight trips to the NBA Finals, winning 2 of them.
Kevin Durant, shorn of championship success in his first 9 years, made a switch from OKC to the Warriors in 2016. His partnership with Stephen Curry marked one of the few occasions when 2 players on the same team have had one season shooting 50/40/90 in their careers.
The 2016-17 Warriors posted the winningest playoff run of all time. They dropped just one game on their way to a 16-1 record and reclaimed the championship. KD won Finals MVP while averaging over 35 points per game. This squad is universally considered one of the greatest ever.
Duncan Robinson picks the Kevin Durant lineup over that of LeBron James, explains why
Duncan Robinson was on the Long Shot Podcast over the weekend with co-host Davis Reid. The duo discussed an interesting question: Who would win a game between a starting 5 of KD’s best teammates vs LeBron James’ best teammates.
NBA Reddit picked Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and James Harden as his 4 best teammates ever. They paired LeBron James with Kyrie Irving, Dwyane Wade, Anthony Davis and Chris Bosh.
Both Duncan and Davis picked the Warriors in a surprising consensus. Their reasoning and how it links up with the Olympics basketball tournament is quite logical. Per Duncan Robinson:
“So obviously, there’s an overwhelming amount of talent on both sides. The reason I’m gonna go with Durant’s team is that I see it fitting and working more. I’ve already seen Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green dominate.”
“That puzzle already works. You throw James Harden in the mix, it might cause a little bit of a complication. But with that being said, it’s still just an immense amount of talent.”
“I love that LeBron group, but at the end of the day it just comes down to ‘There’s one basketball.’ What’s unique about Curry, Thompson, Durant and Green is that all 4 of them don’t necessarily need the ball to be great.”
“Durant can play off the ball, Thompson can play off the ball, Curry and Green can impact the game literally without touching the ball. Obviously, Harden is the best with the ball in his hands, so he’d be their point guard.”
