Ahead of the 2011-12 NBA season, the league went on a 161-day lockout. The NBPA and owners couldn’t agree on a new CBA by the necessary deadline. As a result, the season didn’t begin until December 25. That left a lot of spare time for players who typically would be ready for the season. LeBron James and Kevin Durant found a unique way to stay active.
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Many players wanted to remain in game shape by playing in competitive basketball games. That may have come in the form of various Pro-Am events such as the Drew League. LeBron James and Kevin Durant participated in their fair share of Pro-Am games but decided to push the boundaries in their free time.
During the lockout, LeBron joined a flag football league in New York. Coincidentally, Durant made an appearance on an Oklahoma State football team after a fan invited him to play on X. When the two found out about each other’s interest in football, the next steps became simple.
James hosted the LeBron’s Flag Football Classic, which put him against Kevin Durant. The game took place in an indoor football dome at Akron University. The event even had broadcast coverage, which the NFL helped produce.
Believe it or not, Durant and James treated the game extremely seriously. The two NBA superstars held multiple practices with their teams and even devised playbooks. Before the game started, LeBron and KD spoke to the media, letting their intentions be known.
“It’s a game, but we ain’t playing if you catch my drift,” James said. Durant didn’t hesitate to reveal what his expectations were for the game. “I know we’re in a hostile environment here in Akron, Ohio. But we got a lot of tough guys here. Inner city guys that know how to play a game.”
Once the game began, it was clear they weren’t playing just for fun. Both teams wanted to win and do so in a convincing fashion.
After the second quarter, Team LeBron held a 28-21 lead over Team Durant. KD’s last-second touchdown cut the lead to a one-touchdown game heading into halftime. Momentum had shifted, but LeBron wasn’t going to let that slide for long.
The third quarter was all Team LeBron. With 10 minutes remaining, the then-Miami Heat star pushed his squad to a 55-35 lead. Team Durant wasn’t just going to roll over.
They battled back to tie the game at 63 apiece with just under 40 seconds remaining. In the final seconds, a Team LeBron touchdown would ruin Durant’s hopes of staging the improbable comeback.
James intercepted three crucial passes and had a pick after the final touchdown to ensure Team LeBron won the one of its kind game. Kevin Durant, too, had multiple key plays, including a few touchdowns.
The final score of the game was 70-63. Although James and Durant were far from showing NFL talent, their conditioning level showed that they were ready for the NBA season. This duel would prove to be a foreshadowing of the 2012 NBA Finals matchup a few months later.
