The beauty of basketball goes far beyond the 48 minutes of competition on the court. The connection that a ball rings in between people from different walks of life is priceless. The NBA is home to cutthroat competitors. However, once the game is over, profound respect is the only emotion that remains. For some, close friendships are formed despite heated exchanges during the game.
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Whenever Kevin Durant and James Harden take the court, the matchup is a must-watch for the sheer fireworks and quality it provides. Their friendship adds to the intrigue. The two are extremely close and have even been teammates on multiple teams.
Harden began his career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he played alongside Durant for three seasons. Eventually, the Thunder traded Harden to the Houston Rockets in 2012. Fate reconnected them nine years later on the Brooklyn Nets. Regrettably, though, the two haven’t been able to get over the championship hump in their partnerships.
Durant is now a member of the Rockets, while Harden plays for the Los Angeles Clippers. Regardless, their friendship never wavered. In season 2 of the Starting 5, the two stars opened up about the depth of their relationship.
“That’s my real brother,” Durant said. “We really hang out, since we were 19, 20 years old.”
It may seem their friendship began once Harden arrived in Oklahoma City. However, Durant revealed that they go back even further than that.
“I was a freshman in college, and I was in LA. Me and Greg Oden had gone to Roscoe’s one night. James just pulled up on us. I think that’s the start of it right there. I was like, ‘Yeah, he’s one of us,'” Durant revealed.
It didn’t take long for Durant and Harden to become close friends. And coincidentally enough, they became teammates. Although they were close, Harden understood the role Durant had in his life, not only in basketball but in other walks.
“I looked up to him just because he knew how to work,” Harden said.
In their brief time together in OKC, they led the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals. But they came up short against the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh.
If it weren’t for contract disputes with the organization, Harden would’ve stayed with the team, which could’ve changed many things, including NBA history. Obviously, that is all hindsight and speculation.
Durant’s recent trade to the Rockets keeps him in the Western Conference. That means he will face off against Harden and the Clippers three times this season.
As of now, they have played 38 games against each other, with Durant having a slight edge with a record of 20-18. Harden will be keen to take the lead in their head-to-head once this season is underway.
