Kevin Durant and LeBron James: A Rivalry No More

December 16th, 2015 by Dan Favale Leave a reply »

Battles between LeBron James and Kevin Durant just aren't the same.

When the Cleveland Cavaliers play host to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday night, it will mark the 20th time, through both the playoffs and regular season, these two NBA superstars have squared off against one another—a milestone befitting of what should be an iconic rivalry.

If only that rivalry existed.

 

Unique Dynamics

These matchups used to mean something special and spectacular. Durant and James were natural rivals, unendingly looped together not out of manufactured spite but by default, as a direct result of colliding clout and similar skill.

Every meeting was important, every outcome a measuring stick—a foreground for fights of fortune that pit the best player in the world, James, opposite his closest competitor, Durant.

This (friendly) conflict reached critical mass during, and immediately after, the 2012 NBA Finals. The Miami Heat, then James' team, emerged from the Eastern Conference to face a Durant-led Thunder squad that thoroughly steamrolled the rest of the Western Confer ...

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