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One thing we know for sure: Kevin Durant will never do to Oklahoma City what LeBron James did to Cleveland on Thursday night.
But I’m not talking about leaving for another team, just the despicable, awkward one-hour television special that ripped the heart out of Ohio sports fans. Leaving for another team could happen. The situations in Cleveland over the past decade and in Oklahoma City over the coming one have as many obvious similarities as obvious differences.
Oklahoma City’s main advantage? The team and its direction will be a more powerful force to help keep Durant than it was for Cleveland in keeping (or losing, as it turned out) James. It’s apparent now that James was always going to leave. The Cavaliers gave LeBron just about every conceivable perk and built an annual title contender, and it still wasn’t enough. The Thunder doesn’t have to do that to keep Durant happy. Sam Presti and Co. just have to give him a chance to compete for championships, and the Thunder appears poised to do just that. If Durant can play winning basketball in Oklahoma City all the way through his prime, he won’t leave, but that’s a bigger if than you may think.
There’s no fear mongering going on here. Durant has never even hinted that he would leave Oklahoma City under any circumstances in his control. (The only evidence I can find that he’d even consider it, other than the mandatory “you never know” thrown in upon occasion, were comments about the Miami Thrice saga said to Darnell Mayberry of The Oklahoman, seen near the bottom here.) But Durant wants to win. Read more…
Commentary
Free Agency, Kevin Durant, LeBron James
With Brian Windhorst reporting that LeBron won’t play tonight in the Cavs regular season finale, the scoring title race is over. Kevin Durant is now the youngest scoring champion ever in NBA history.
LeBron is averaging 29.710 points per game (2258 in 76 games). Kevin Durant sits currently at 30.135 (2441 in 81 games). So tonight, with Durant playing and LeBron sitting, Durant would have to score negative five points in order to lose the scoring title. That’s right, KD need not score tonight to take it home.
However, in order to stay above 30 a game, KD needs 19 points. So that means he should have that done by halftime, right?
News
Kevin Durant, LeBron James
First off, this is a ridiculous question and the fact it’s picked up this much steam for the four talking idiots heads on Around the Horn to debate tells you that it’s clearly the NBA offseason. But let’s get to the bottom of this thing. Up front, to be clear: LEBRON JAMES IS A BETTER PLAYER… RIGHT NOW. Nobody would argue with that. Unless they are related to KD or maybe on his payroll.
On Around the Horn today, Jay Mariotti said it was “absolutely crazy” and laughed it off as if he was offended to even be asked; Kevin Blackistone said no way, but he can see it in the future (being the only one to actually kind of answer the question); Bill Plaschke talked and stuttered so fast I could barely understand him, but ended up saying it was stupid to even think Durant was better; and Woody Paige did something HILARIOUS in which I fell on the floor laughing at his outrageous antics. It was all great television.
And I wouldn’t have disagreed with them one bit, had they answered the question properly. Let’s review what Sam Smith said that started this whole ridiculous debate. Read more…
Commentary
Kevin Durant, LeBron James
