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Why LeBron James and Kevin Durant Haven’t Dueled Each Other in Over 3 Years

Jeet Pukhrambam
Published

Why LeBron James and Kevin Durant Haven't Dueled Each Other in Over 3 Years,

While you would think that LeBron James and Kevin Durant would have been accustomed to playing against each other over the years, the truth is that they actually haven’t faced off against each other in an NBA court in over 3 years.

Yes, a baffling occurrence indeed. It seems like it was just yesterday when the two were locked in a battle over the Larry O’Brien Trophy. The 2018 NBA Finals was one of the last times they played against each other.

Since 2018, they have not been on the same court. And we are not counting all-star games here. So can you tell when was the last time these two superstars squared off?

Also read: Who is Tim Hardaway? Is He Right in Saying Luka Doncic is Better Than Even LeBron James at 23?

LeBron James and Kevin Durant have never battled in 3 years

The two have been interlinked for over a decade now. Anything LeBron does Kevin Durant gets an abject comparison to it. There are a thousand things that we can talk about in basketball but for this generation, one of the most important debates is the comparison between KD and LBJ.

And while you would think these two have continued to battle over the years, there has been a gap since the Christmas game of 2018. But it begs to ask, why have LeBron James and Kevin Durant not dueled each other in over 3 years?

Injuries. The main reason is injury. Let’s not forget, KD was sidelined with an Achilles injury for a long time. Just take a look at the compilation of games and the reason for missing them.

Also read: “Luka Doncic Played Against Professionals At 16, Unlike LeBron James”: Tim Hardaway Sr Takes 23 Y/o Mavs Star Over 23 Y/o James

LBJ is out with an injury once again

And as fate would have it, the two will not play each other once again. As per the Lakers’ latest injury report, LeBron James is out with an injury.

Kevin is fit and hence will play. He is also in great form and the Nets finally look to have found much-needed form. They are on a good run and will punish the Lakers who are without their superstar.

So, when will we get to see these two play then? Not until 2023 and that would have marked over 4 years since the two last shared a court with their respective teams.

Is this a sign that this era’s greats are coming to an end? Perhaps. But we believe we will see a final hurrah before they call it quits.

P.S. The picture you see at the top is from one of the last times the two played against each other.

Also read: “LeBron James Coaches Himself”: Skip Bayless Trashes Lakers Superstar Over Horrible 3-Pt Shooting

About the author

Jeet Pukhrambam

Jeet Pukhrambam

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Jeet Pukhrambam is The SportsRush's Lead Editor for Basketball. After freelancing for five years as an independent writer, Jeet created thousands of blog posts and articles. He now covers intriguing news reports and throwback stories on all things NBA. His interest in NBA started with the ascendancy of Giannis Antetokounmpo in the 2016-17 season. Since then, Jeet has managed to coalesce his knowledge of the game and his writing to create pieces that are reflective of the current state of the league. Now, he ensures that The SportsRush produces the highest quality of writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing football, cooking, traveling, and dancing to techno. Jeet takes pride in his critical thinking, music playlists, and his love for spaghetti.

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