While everyone in the NBA has generally regarded LeBron James as the undisputed “king” of basketball for the last 5 years, there has been another young star in the making who could soon dethrone the Miami Heat sensation. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is a beast and is currently the top scorer in the league. While he’s still young and reaching his peak level of play, is the time drawing near for Durant to rise up and derail James’ incredible run of NBA titles?
The rivalry was first mentioned during the 2012 NBA Finals. It was James’ first win in the league and he was dominant. While Durant was supported by James Harden and Russell Westbrook, all three Thunders players were under the age of 20. Meanwhile, the Heat were led by James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, all of whom were in their 20s. More mature and developed as players, the Heat got away with the Thunder and easily won 4 games to 1.
But while the Heat went on to win a second championship last season, the Thunder experienced heartbreaking losses. Harden not only left the team, but Westbrook was injured in the 2013 NBA playoffs, and Durant was unable to shoulder the full load of his team.
But now, at 25, Durant isn’t necessarily a young, inexperienced kid anymore. He has received some tough lessons in the past, but his game has continued to grow and now he is a major threat to LeBron James’ dominance in the NBA. Remember, a young LeBron once led the Cleveland Cavaliers all the way to the NBA Finals, only to be swept by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007. Experience is definitely an asset in the latter stages of an NBA season.
Kevin Durant stormed out in 2014, averaging a staggering 35.9 points per game in the month of January. His great play has found the Thunder currently atop the Western Conference standings at 43-13 (the Heat are 40-14). There has even been some discussion that Durant could be the favorite for NBA MVP this year. While a great play by James and the Heat in a 103-81 win over the Thunder last week put these rumors to rest, the message clearly hit home.
And while that small win sure was a nice blow to James’ ego (although he broke his nose in the process), it’s what happens in June when everything is on the table that matters. Will James win his third straight title and really start the argument for his greatness compared to Michael Jordan, or will Durant finally reach his potential, win a championship and start a new great rivalry between the pair? Something tells me that the NBA is preparing for a crash course between these two superstars and that Durant will finally have his say this time. Looking ahead, this pairing could compete for the next 5 years as the LeBron James vs Kevin Durant rivalry seems to be just getting started.
