Credit: USA TODAY Sports
It has been more than 19 years since LeBron James has been limited to under 10 points in an NBA contest. On January 11, 2024, the Phoenix Suns almost achieved the rare feat of restricting him to single digits. However, they did manage to limit him to only 10 points on a paltry 3/11 shooting. A fan account named Booker Muse pointed out after the game how Kevin Durant played a major role on defense in curbing James’ production.
The fan also highlighted that this was the first time since November 2021 that LBJ has been held below 11 points. Reacting to this, another fan on Instagram commented that KD remains lightyears behind LBJ despite this great defensive performance. Responding to this rude remark, Kevin Durant, notorious for his social media interactions with fans, clapped back in his usual fiery tone.
The KD critic reminded him that it was only the first time that he has been able to stifle James’ offense. The Insta user wrote, “Hooray. Took him 17 years to do this.” The user then added that KD fans were desperate to rate their favorite player over LBJ and were reaching to achieve that. He further stated, “it’s not close, never been close, and never will be close”, implying that Durant will never be able to possibly catch up to King James.
Of course, Durant caught a whiff of this comment and didn’t let it go unanswered. Rolling back the clock to the day he announced his move to the Warriors in 2016, KD argued that his critic is “still in his feelings” about his decision. He also blasted the fan by stating, “Let him create whatever reality in his head that he wants to help him get through these trying times.” He concluded his remark by calling the detractor “corny” and had some laughs at the expense of his critics.
While KD may blast his detractors left and right, he has been chasing LeBron James ever since he came to the league, there’s no denying that.
Kevin Durant was desperate to be a winner
KD was drafted second in the 2007 NBA draft, behind the injury-riddled Greg Oden. Before winning the MVP award in 2014, he repeatedly finished second in the voting. The Oklahoma City Thunder Forward was the runner-up during the 2012 Finals, losing to the LBJ-led Miami Heat. On multiple instances, it has been LeBron James stealing the glory from one of the greatest scorers of all time. Therefore, in 2013, he showcased his frustration about falling just short every time in an interview with Sports Illustrated.
“I’ve been second my whole life, I was the second-best player in high school. I was the second pick in the draft. I’ve been second in the MVP voting three times. I came in second in the Finals. I’m tired of being second,” expressed a frustrated Durant in 2013
However, when your competition is LBJ, his fans will always zero in on anything and everything they can hold against you. They will use your words to make a point. In 2022, KD caught a stray from perpetual James defender and FS1 Analyst, Nick Wright. Durant had dropped a career-high 55 points but Wright reminded him that he fell six points short of James’ career-high of 61 points. Wright quipped, “Even on the night KD gets his career high, he comes in… second place. Tough times.”
At any rate, there is one area where the glorious Suns scorer isn’t second to LBJ. He has a 2-1 record over him in the NBA Finals
