Kevin Durant knows a thing or two about being on a roster loaded with elite scorers, and he was not shy about drawing a comparison once LeBron James officially joined the Philadelphia 76ers.
Durant made the comments while attending a charity event this weekend, and he did not hesitate to invoke his own championship history.
What Did Kevin Durant Say About LeBron James’ 76ers?
Speaking with ESPN’s Ben Golliver at a USA Basketball charity 3×3 tournament in Ladera Ranch, California, Durant compared Philadelphia’s new look roster to the Golden State Warriors teams he played on that also featured Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
“The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the [Warriors] team I was on,” Durant said at a USA Basketball event Saturday. “[The 76ers] have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they’re going to be a contender. They’re going to be a fun team to watch. It’s going to be League Pass-worthy.”
Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey all averaged at least 25 points per game last season, and James now joins that trio after signing a two-year, $8 million contract with Philadelphia this offseason. The move came after the Sixers acquired Brown in a trade with the Boston Celtics, giving the franchise its most star-studded roster in decades.
Durant also admitted he had no idea James was even considering the Sixers before the news broke.
“LeBron is stealth like that,” Durant said. “I know there’s a lot of noise around him, but you never know what’s on his mind. I’m happy for him. It’s a great decision for him to go to a team that has a good chance to win. Philly is a great fanbase, a great market, and it’s great for the league. There were so many eyes that were tuned in to his decision.”
The comparison to Durant’s Warriors carries real weight given how dominant those teams were, winning back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018 behind a starting lineup that regularly overwhelmed opponents with scoring depth.
MORE: ‘They Didn’t Love Me, They Loved Kobe’ – Shaquille O’Neal Makes Painful Admission About Lakers Stint
Philadelphia is chasing its first championship since 1983, while James is looking to become the first player in NBA history to win a title with four different franchises.
Durant, now with the Houston Rockets after a series of moves in recent years, has firsthand experience with the kind of criticism super teams tend to draw, having faced backlash of his own after joining Golden State in 2016.
Whether the Sixers can translate that star power into a championship the way Durant’s Warriors did remains to be seen, but based on his comments, at least one future Hall of Famer already likes their chances.
