Durant on par with NBA elite
Game 3 shot cemented Warrior forward’s place as one of league’s greats
OAKLAND >> The picture hangs on the wall outside the entrance of the Warriors’ practice facility, giving Kevin Durant a visual reminder everyday about a career-defining moment that has left him feeling inspired.
Durant remains hoisted in the air mere seconds before launching a 3-point shot that bore significance, both literally and figuratively.
The literal: Durant made the go-ahead 3-pointer with 45.3 seconds remaining that secured the Warriors a Game 3 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals. Though the Warriors did not officially win their second NBA title in three years until winning Game 5, Durant’s shot arguably clinched the series considering the Warriors then cemented a 3-0 lead that no team has ever squandered in NBA history.
The figurative: Durant made the shot over Cavaliers forward LeBron James, a man who has served as Durant’s idol, competitor and mentor all in varying stages of his life. Since then, Durant told GQ in November that he viewed that moment as James “passing the torch to me.” Durant clarified this week what that play meant.
“I saw a lot of people took that out
of context: What I’m saying is when somebody passes the torch, they’re letting you in the room,” Durant said. “You got LeBron. You got (Dwyane Wade). You got (Carmelo Anthony). You got Paul Pierce. You got Larry Bird. You got Dr. J all in a room. It’s my turn to be in there with them and enjoy being one of the best players in the world. It wasn’t the fact that I took it from LeBron and he’s gone now. Obviously he’s still around.”
Yes, he is. The Warriors (26-7) host the Cleveland Cavaliers (24-9) in a nationally televised Christmas Day game today with the 32-year-old James ranking among the league’s best in his 15th NBA year in season averages, including third in points (28.4), seventh in field-goal percentage (57 percent) second in assists (9.2 ) and second in minutes played (37.3).
“The 15th year, this is exactly where he’s supposed to be at that age. So I’m sorry. I never looked at the age thing as a big deal,” Durant said. “I always figured at this age, (Michael) Jordan did the same thing, you still stay on top of your game. You get sharper. You get smarter. You know how to play and manipulate the game. LeBron has been at that level. This year isn’t any different than other year, to be honest.”
Not into comparisons
Meanwhile, the 29-yearold Durant has spent his 11th NBA year trailing closely behind in season averages, including ranking fourth in the NBA in points (26.3) and second in blocks (2.21).
“LeBron is more of a playmaker first that can score. KD is more of a scorer first that can playmake,” said Warriors assistant coach Mike Brown, who also coached James in Cleveland from 2005 to 2010. “It’s a little different, rolewise. They both block shots, but LeBron is a little bit better in the open court. KD is better on the weakside of the floor. They both rebound really well. And I’d like to have them both on my team.”
Brown then laughed, realizing the likely impossibility of that happening. Brown then shook his head
moments later, arguing, “I don’t think you can compare players.” Neither can Durant.
After hitting that signature shot over James, though, Durant has since become inspired toward achieving higher levels of greatness. When Durant talked with Kobe Bryant, Bill Russell and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar last week during Bryant’s jersey retirement in Los Angeles, Durant said he felt more welcome interacting with such luminaries because of his Game 3 shot, his first NBA title and his first Finals MVP.
“They have seen me play at the highest level and play against a guy who people say is continuously the best player ever,” Durant said. “I feel like I proved myself and belong in that conversation.”
Durant has picked up his first NBA title in two Finals stints. James has won three in eight Finals appearances, including seven in consecutive seasons. While James ranks eighth on the NBA’s all-time scoring list (29,273 points), Durant logs in at 48th (19,857).
“Accolades and accomplishments and legacy and all that stuff and how they mean to people, I can’t talk on that,” Durant said. “But as far as basketball skills are concerned? I’m on the same level. I feel like that moment was (LeBron) saying, ‘Welcome.’”
The picture certainly welcomes Durant anytime he enters the Warriors’ practice facility.
“It’s still surreal to me,” Durant recalled. “You dream about those shots.”
As a child growing up in Prince George’s County in Maryland, outside of Washington D.C., Durant dreamed about those shots as much as anyone who played basketball at their local park. Durant counted down from “3, 2, 1” before taking imaginary game winners. It would be a stretch, though, to say Durant envisioned that happening against James.
Durant first became aware of James as a freshman at National Christian Academy in Fort Washington, Maryland. Then, James was a senior at St. Vincent St. Mary High School in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. After watching James on ESPN, Durant immediately “knew he had a good chance of making it to the NBA” straight out of high school.
Shortly after, the Cavaliers selected James with the No. 1 pick in the 2003 NBA draft. Durant entered the NBA when the former Seattle Supersonics drafted him at No. 2 in the 2007 NBA Draft after starring for one season at the University of Texas. That happened shortly after James had appeared in his first NBA Finals.
“Our journeys are different. We’re two different players. We have two different personalities,” Durant said. “But when you see somebody that is just as good as you are as a basketball player, somebody that you work hard to reach their level, you look at him as if you had a healthy respect and have that mutual respect.”
That respect level deepened in subsequent years.
James won his first NBA title at Durant’s expense when the Miami Heat beat the Oklahoma City Thunder in five games in the 2012 NBA Finals. When Durant and James played together that summer with the U.S. men’s Olympic team in London, Durant immediately admired James’ “attention to detail,” how he played as a point guard in a forward’s body and directed a team full of stars in practice and in games. And then everything came full circle when Durant and James met again in the 2017 Finals.
Through it all, Durant and James have mostly stayed even with each other in matchups that Durant said has contained more “slick talking” than “trash talking.”
Great matchups
According to Basketballreference.com, Durant has averaged 28.9 points on 48.5 percent shooting against James in 18 regular-season matchups, while James has averaged 28.8 points on 51.2 percent shooting during those games. In the playoffs? Same story. Durant has a slight edge over James in points (32.9 to 31.1) and shooting percentage (55.2 percent to 52 percent).
“You can’t stop great players. You can’t. I’m sorry,” Durant said. “You can’t shut them down. I’m not going to shut LeBron down to the point where he’s not effective at all. These guys have the ball in their hands whenever they want. They can shoot whenever they want. They can manipulate the game whenever they want.”
As a result, both Durant and James have a 40-point plus game against each other in the regular season. James has posted at least 30 points in nine games, while Durant has done so in seven. While James is the only one to have at least 40 points in a Finals game against Durant, Durant topped James in the Finals in the number of 30-point games (eight to four). So what can you do?
“You want the offensive player to just think and second guess himself just for a split second. That’s what we both, me and LeBron, do to each other when we play against each other,” Durant said. “It’s like I know I have to think the game instead of going out there and letting my talent to take over. That’s what you want, man. You want to be able to play a chess game.”
Durant realized that chess game does not just happen on the court. It happens with handling business off the court, too.
In 2010, James had hosted a one-hour special and announced his decision to take his talents to South Beach. Durant hardly dealt with such scrutiny initially as James did for switching teams. Six years later, however, things change. In a Players Tribune article in the 2016 offseason, Durant announced his free-agent departure from Oklahoma City to Golden State.
Although Durant views himself as his own man, he gained further appreciation for how James handled the business of basketball both in feeling empowered to play for whomever he chooses and to sign one-year deals to maximize leverage.
“Everybody tries to prove their critics wrong or prove anybody wrong that says you can’t do something. It’s a matter of me telling you that I hear it and I’m trying to change how you feel about me on the basketball court,” Durant said. “Off the court, all that stuff, I can’t change that perception on who I am as a person. But as a basketball player, I’m trying to change the perception of growing my game. If you don’t like it and I call you out on it, then it’s not my fault.”
None of those issues mattered during Durant’s defining moment in Game 3 against Cleveland.
After Cavaliers guard Kyle Korver missed a 3-pointer from the corner, Durant immediately grabbed the rebound. Durant brought the ball up the court. Durant marched toward the top of the key. With James sagging below the perimeter, Durant jumped and launched a shot that both sparked silence on Cleveland’s homecourt, and turned Durant’s childhood dream into reality.
“It was something I always knew would happen, but I didn’t know when,” Durant said. “But I’m just blessed enough that it presented itself in the NBA Finals.”