LeBron James and Kevin Durant are two peas in a pod with parallel career trajectories. They have contributed immensely to the game in all their seasons. Particularly with both the NBA champions leading the All-Star votes this season, one would have thought they would have played against each other. But the reality is, they haven’t faced each other on the court since 2018. According to Sports Illustrated, “either one or both of Durant and James were sideline for each of those matchups“.
However, this streak could possibly continue with the latest updates given by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The NBA world is in disbelief, which is evident from the fans’ reactions.
Kevin Durant vs. LeBron James
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The Brooklyn Nets forward, Kevin Durant is reportedly to be “sidelined for approximately a month“. The NBA Twitter was flooded with both voices of concern and deflated excitement. LeBron James going up against Durant is a matchup that the basketball world has looked forward to for almost 3 years now.
KD really avoiding LeBron again. Unserious. https://t.co/apVu7W2oGM
— Aaron Mathew (@AaronMathew9) January 9, 2023
We will never see this again😢 pic.twitter.com/J3eNKPWPux
— 𝓛𝓛💫 (@HoodiiBron) January 9, 2023
NOOOOO HE KEEPS DODGING LEBRON
— ²³𝙻𝚎𝙱𝚛𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚜🏀☄️🌎💞 (@BronGotGame) January 9, 2023
https://twitter.com/Stevenator223/status/1612573378199670784?s=20&t=UnYx0BQ8xgH3BYFENJYRpQ
No KD vs Bron AGAIN!!!
— Troy🏆🏆🏆🏆🏆 (@troyboy621) January 9, 2023
The Nets announced on Monday that Durant was diagnosed with an MCL sprain on his right knee. He would be re-evaluated in two weeks. He had a similar sprain in his left knee last season and missed 6 weeks. Reports claim that this time around, the injury is not that grave. This could imply yet another matchup where the two players don’t meet.
In November 2022, Durant addressed the NBA world’s concern. He said he would love to play against LeBron James, but the Nets used James’ absence to their advantage. He said, “We need wins. I want him to play for sure, but when he’s not out there, the game is definitely easier for us. I wish we could get back to it.”
What does KD’s absence mean for the Brooklyn Nets?
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After what seemed like a starting trouble for the Brooklyn Nets, they have finally come through to the second seed in the Eastern Conference. With a winning percentage of .675, they hold a record of 27-13.
The Nets’ position can be largely attributed to Kevin Durant’s phenomenal performances. He has been instrumental in shouldering his team and taking them forward. KD has been averaging 30 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.
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Watch This Story: LeBron James floored by Kevin Durant ending a man?s career with his iconic move during Nets vs Wizards
In September last year, Durant spoke to FoxNews and said, “We shouldn?t be losing some of these games that we lost, regardless of who?s on the floor.” The media reported that this period would be an opportunity for the team to look at different combinations, and bring forth more understanding of the team.