Kevin Durant Believes LeBron James Makes the 76ers a ‘Juggernaut

Kevin Durant shared his honest thoughts on LeBron James joining the 76ers.

Kevin Durant Believes LeBron James Makes the 76ers a ‘Juggernaut

Kevin Durant and LeBron James (Image credits - Yahoo Sports and NBA)

LeBron James is getting ready for his 24th season in the NBA. However, it will take some time to get used to it, as he will be donning the Philadelphia 76ers jersey for the first time. The 76ers represent James’ fourth and final team of his career.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant is coming off his first season with the Houston Rockets. While he impressed many with his regular-season performances, he missed five of six playoff games due to injury. In the end, James and the Los Angeles Lakers eliminated Durant and the Rockets in the first round.

There has been a lot of hype surrounding the 76ers since James’ signing. He will be joining the likes of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown in Philly.

The Rockets star was asked to share his thoughts about James’ move to Philly by his co-host, Rich Kleiman.

There’s going to be a juggernaut. He understands how to put a winning basketball team together. He’s been in the league for 24 years. He should know and understand how to do that. And then he knows how to put himself in a position to be successful.

Kevin Durant on Boardroom Talks

Durant knows a thing or two about playing alongside star-studded teammates. When he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016, he played alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. They won two championships in three years and could have won the Finals in 2019 if not for injuries.

James’ move to Philly has seen many calling the 76ers the most dominant team in the league heading into next season. Durant even compared James’ move to his move to the Warriors in 2016.

While he did receive some flak for the comparisons, he still sees the 76ers as juggernauts at the moment. Since James’ signing, the expectations surrounding the team are higher than ever, with many calling the upcoming season “championship or bust” for them.

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Kevin Durant believes LeBron James understands his role in Philly

While LeBron James may not be the player he once was, he can still play winning basketball and play a significant role in a championship team. Last season for the Lakers, he led them to the second round of the playoffs without Luka Doncic by his side.

Speaking about his role in Philly, Durant added that James will be the connector of the team.

I feel like for him to take a minimum says a lot about his mindset and how he’s going to come into the team. They need a connector of guys that kind of somebody that understands like, all right, everybody’s not going to average 25 points on this team. Everybody’s role is going to change. And I think LeBron understands that.

Kevin Durant on Boardroom Talks

James has always been the best player and the focal point of his team throughout his career. However, he had to take a backseat and make a few sacrifices last season for the Lakers, with Doncic taking over as the franchise player. Durant expects James to do the same in Philly as well.

With scorers like Embiid, Maxey, and Brown in the lineup, James will not be expected to average 25 points every game. He can pick and choose his moment and will be more of a playmaker and a “connector” piece for the team.

Kevin Durant picks the Brooklyn Nets as the best team he has played, on paper

Kevin Durant has played for five different teams in his career. He has played with several All-Star caliber teammates throughout his career, but his career will widely be remembered for his time in Golden State. In his three-year spell with the Warriors, he won two championships and was named the Finals MVP in both years.

Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving
Kevin Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving (Image credits – The Sporting News)

But when asked to choose which was the best team on paper he has ever played in, he did not pick the Warriors.

I’m gonna say Brooklyn. I know people are going to say, ‘the Warriors, you had Steph and Klay.’ At the time, Steph was an MVP but Klay and Draymond didn’t get the accolades at that time. These [Nets players] I’m talking about already completed their careers, damn near, and on top of me, James and Kyrie. So when you’re just putting accolades on the table, I would say that team.

Kevin Durant on Boardroom Talks

There were a lot of expectations from the Nets when Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden joined forces. Unfortunately, injuries and COVID-19 vaccine mandates kept them to just 16 games together before Harden left for the 76ers in the middle of the 2021-22 campaign. Durant did say he regretted not being able to win a championship with the Nets.

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