Kevin Durant Makes His Stance On Michael Beasley Clear Amid $100k 1v1 Game Against Lance Stephenson

Joseph Galizia | 07/06/2025
May 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Kevin Durant attends a WNBA game between the Atlanta Dream and LA Sparks at Crypto.com Arena

One of the most anticipated basketball showdowns over the past 24 hours wasn’t just Game 1 of the NBA Finals—it was the 1v1 battle between Lance Stephenson and Michael Beasley. With $100,000 on the line and a packed crowd watching, Beasley came out on top, beating Stephenson 31–21 to take home the cash.

The hype around the matchup was real. Both players were known for being absolute killers in one-on-one situations, especially in isolation—where they built their reputations in the NBA by breaking defenders down off the dribble.

You could always see the streetball influence in their game, like they never really left the playground. And one person who definitely didn’t miss this battle? Hall of Famer Kevin Durant.

Durant took to Instagram afterward to shower praise on his childhood friend Beasley. “Belle Haven’s Finest,” he wrote on his Story, which featured a throwback photo of a young Beasley throwing down a dunk. So, safe to say that he was rooting for the former number two Draft pick.

Back in 2018, Beasley and Durant opened up about how close they had gotten playing high school ball together in Marhland. “We just kicked it,” said Beasley during a joint interview with ESPN.

“Yeah, we just kicked it all the time,” responded Durant. “And on the court, too, we knew how to play off of each other.”

Basketball isn’t just the sport that bonded them either. It kept them away from trouble growing up in a neighborhood where trouble was all around. “Basketball was like our only way out, our only way to stay out of trouble,” Beasley stated at the time.

“That’s why I say it’s always about the game,” added KD. “I always tell him that all the time, like never get away from the game.”

The relationship between Durant and Beasley transcends time. It’s a reminder that no matter the path, true fans—and true friends—stick by you until the end. It’s great to see the 15-time All-Star celebrating Beasley’s success, even if it’s just a 1v1 victory.

The game was marketed similarly to a professional wrestling match

As fun as it was to see Beasley win, it didn’t compare to the entertainment of watching the effort he put into promoting the 1v1 showdown with Lance. One of his promos made it look like the two were gearing up to body-slam each other in a Hell in a Cell match rather than play basketball.

And after his victory, Beasley took it up a notch. He and Lance exchanged praise on Instagram, but Beas took it one step too far.

“I love you to the moon and back,” he wrote on IG. “Now grab a cigarette and a towel. We made a sex tape Kim K would envy.”

Never change, Beasley. Never change.

Post Edited By: Somin Bhattacharjee
Kevin Durant Lance Stephenson Michael Beasley

About the author

Joseph Galizia

Joseph is a Las Vegas based actor and circus performer. For the last seven years he's had the pleasure of covering sports for multiple outlets, including the Lifestyles section of Sports Illustrated. In that time, he's conducted over 50 interviews with athletes, filmmakers, and company founders to further cement his footprint in the journalism world. He's excited to bring that skillset to the SportsRush, where he'll be covering the NBA news cycle.

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