Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James enjoyed Thursday night’s game against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns, knowing he and Durant may not have many more opportunities to go head-to-head.
Speaking to reporters after the 100-95 victory over the Suns, James explained why playing on the court with Durant was so special: “We don’t have a lot of games left. Not sure how many games are left. So, you Don’t know” “When you’re out there with a player of that caliber, you never want to take it for granted, one of the best ever.”
It’s worth noting that Thursday marks the first time LeBron and Durant have faced off since Christmas 2018, as each time the two teams have faced each other over the past four seasons, one or both have been injured or rested .
Although James and Durant have rarely gone head-to-head in recent years, they will forever be linked as they are undoubtedly two of the greatest players of their generation and NBA history.
In addition, they have met three times in the NBA Finals, with LeBron winning the Finals MVP and leading the Miami Heat to defeat Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder for the first time, followed by Durant and the Golden State Warriors. The team defeated James and the Cleveland Cavaliers twice, and KD won the NBA Finals MVP twice.
James will turn 39 in December, making him the oldest active player in the NBA, which means there’s no telling how long he’ll be willing and able to play.
The four-time NBA champion, NBA MVP and NBA Finals MVP continues to perform at an elite level, averaging 28.9 points, 8.3 rebounds and 6.8 assists last season and had 21 points in Thursday’s game. , 9 assists and 8 rebounds. win.
Durant, 35, is relatively young, but injuries have taken a toll on him in recent years, and he hasn’t played at least 60 games in a single season since the 2018-19 season.
Still, the two-time NBA champion, two-time NBA Finals MVP, four-time scoring champion and one-time NBA MVP remains a force when healthy.
He showed that on Thursday, scoring a game-high 39 points and nearly leading the Suns to victory despite the absence of Devin Booker and Bradley Beal due to injuries.
The next meeting between James and Durant will be on November 10th, followed by January 11th and February 25th, and Los Angeles and Phoenix may also meet in the playoffs.