Paul Pierce ‘doesn’t believe’ Kevin Durant’s defense of friendly relationship with LeBron James

Kevin Durant recently fired back at a fan who criticized his friendship with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, with the Phoenix Suns superstar explaining that competition between friends can be more intense.

However, Paul Pierce doesn’t seem to be on the same page as Durant.

James may have competition on the court with Durant and other stars, but it’s common for him to remain friendly with many of them. Of course, some fans may not be too enthusiastic about the idea, especially those who watched previous generations of NBA games.

However, James appears to agree with Durant, according to a recent post on X (formerly Twitter), in which he shared a photo of Charles Barkley and Michael Jordan.

But interestingly, Jordan and Barkley are not talking right now after the basketball player-turned-analyst made negative comments about their estranged friend’s ownership of the Charlotte Hornets.

Hopefully the friendship between James and Durant doesn’t end up going down this road, as the four-time champion has been vocal about his desire to own an NBA team after he retires.

For now, the future Hall of Famers are good friends, even after meeting three times in the NBA Finals.

The Miami Heat defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2012 Finals, earning James his first championship ring.

They then faced off in the 2017 and 2018 Finals, with James playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Durant playing for the Golden State Warriors. Unfortunately for “King James,” his team lost both times, winning just one game in both championship series.

Arguably, the two players could have met for a third consecutive time in 2019, but James left Cleveland to join the Lakers in the 2018 offseason. As for Durant, he would go on to help the Warriors reach the Finals again before quitting the team and playing for the Brooklyn Nets.

A few years later, the two-time champion returned to the Western Conference with the Suns. This season, after the two superstars didn’t meet for five years, he was finally able to face off against James in an NBA game. Before this election, they last met in court on Christmas Day 2018.

James has beaten Durant twice this season, and the Lakers beat the Suns early in the season and again on Friday.