LeBron James, the two-time defending MVP, has been the face of the NBA for the last few years. But after “The Decision,” the basketball world almost unanimously turned their back on the Chosen One, no longer wanting to be "witnesses."
And just as people turned to James after Kobe’s fall from grace in a Denver hotel room, a replacement was needed. An elite player, someone humble and loyal, the exact opposite of the values James had shown by taking his talents to South Beach.
By forgoing a press conference to announce his extension with the small-market Oklahoma City Thunder and dominating in the World Championships, Kevin Durant has been thrust into that role.
In a preseason poll of NBA GM’s, Durant received 20 votes while LeBron got 1.
Leave aside the question of whether Durant has reached James’ level as a player—despite being an inferior rebounder, passer and defender.
The public perception of the two, and Durant’s ascension to the LeBron/Kobe discussion, is mostly due to two men behind the scenes—Thunder GM Kevin Presti and former Cavs president Danny Ferry.
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Article written by Jonathan Tjarks
LeBron James and Kevin Durant: Not As Different As You May Think
October 17th, 2010 by Jonathan Tjarks Leave a reply »
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