Is Durant Using the Lebron Model?

By Alvin Aragon - September 28, 2019

As great as he is as a basketball player, Kevin Durant is widely regarded as just the second-best player in the NBA. As what fictional Patrick Beverly has said to this episode of "Game of Zones" at 2:52:

"By the man who was always second best," fictional Patrick Beverly said to fictional Durant. Just second best to the man who is regarded as the best NBA player in the past 10 years -- Lebron James.

And even in this time, where people are starting to doubt Lebron's claim to the throne due to his "father time". Durant failed to be there to grab the number one spot. Not with his injury. And not with these doubters circulating in the social media:

When do you think you became better than LeBron? @KDTrey5

You know he gets compared to MJ constantly right? Do you think you belong in that same conversation???
— A.P. (@Vitricate) September 11, 2019

So when? When will Durant become the number one? Or will he ever become the number one?

The answers to these questions are probably the things Durant is probing during the early part of his career. But time moves fast. And suddenly, Durant is 27 in 2016 and still hasn't figured out the answer. Or even you know, at least get past step one: get a championship ring.

And then this sequence happened:

Durant joined the super-team Warriors in 2016.
Earned 2 rings during his three years run with the Warriors. (Finally a step closer to the goal. Hooray!)
And then this season, he joined the Brooklyn Nets.

Hmmm... Looks familiar? Cause it is... This is somewhat similar to Lebron James' quest for the ring. Here it is:

Lebron formed a super-team in Miami Heat in 2010.
Earned 2 rings during his four years run with the Heat. (Finally not a ring-less king anymore. Hooray!)
Goes back to Cleveland Cavaliers and fulfilled his promise to give them a championship.

And in both of these sequences, the idea is:

Can't get a championship? Have a taste of winning by joining or creating a super-team.
Go back and apply it to your former situation and prove that you can get a championship this time around.

This got you thinking that probably Durant is copying James' career decisions. After all, he do says that Lebron is his idol:

“That was the best moment I ever had,” Durant told me. “I made the game-winning shot in the finals against my fucking idol. Somebody that I really, really, really followed since I was a ninth-grade high schooler. I felt like he was passing the torch to me.”