LeBron James vs Kevin Durant: Which NBA superstar has had a better supporting cast over the years?
LeBron James and Kevin Durant are two of the highest point scorers currently in the NBA. James' tally of 35,367 makes him the highest scoring active player and third highest scoring player of all-time. Durant's tally of 23,833 makes him the third highest scoring active player, just behind Carmelo Anthony's 27,370 points.
Both KD and King James are now considered two of the most formidable players in the entire league. Their mere presence on the court is enough to invoke fear in the hearts of their opponents. Turning the game or coming back from unbelievable set-backs, the two are alike in the power of their sheer will and ability to win games.
Which NBA superstar has had a better supporting cast over the years?
With such potential, LeBron and Durant have both enjoyed very successful careers. Where the LA Lakers star has been a 17-time All-Star, four-time NBA champion, four-time Finals MVP and four-time regular season MVP; the Brooklyn Nets player has been a 11-time All-Star, two-time MVP, two-time NBA champion and four-time scoring champion.
They are incredible players, however, to deny the impact of their supporting cast on their achievements would be akin to committing a crime. LeBron James and Kevin Durant have both played alongside gifted basketballers who have assisted them throughout their prophesied greatness.
However, curious questions float around the cloud of their legacy, often avoiding discussions. The curious question asks, "Which of these players had a better supporting cast?" We shall try to answer the question by recognizing three of the best teammates LeBron and Durant have played with respectively.
LeBron James' three best teammates
#1 Dwyane Wade
Pound for Pound: Dwyane Wade is one of the greatest guards in the history of the league. We are not here to sing ballads about his career but rather, we must attempt to quantify the impact he had on LeBron James' career.
Together, King James and the Flash appeared in four NBA Finals, of which they won two. In 2011-12 playoffs, Wade averaged 22.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists. He supported LeBron in winning two Finals MVP awards and two championships, of which the 2012 ring was Bron's first.
#2 Kyrie Irving
Kyrie Irving is a craft ball-player. His out-of-the-world ball handling, rim finishing and lethal shooting make him one of the deadliest active players. He is a one-time NBA champion, a seven-time All-Star and the 2012 Rookie of the Year. Uncle Drew is also a member of the elite 50-40-90 shooter's club.
As LeBron James' teammate, Kyrie fought in three finals battles against the seemingly untamable Golden State Warriors and helped LeBron James earn his third championship ring and third Finals MVP. He averaged 25.2 points per game in the championship-winning playoffs series and also registered an incredible 44% shots made from the perimeter.
#3 Anthony Davis
SI Limited Edition Cover: In the longest, most uniquely grueling season in NBA history, the focus displayed by LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the rest of the Lakers through various tragic events separated them from the rest of the league buff.ly/33SAncO https://t.co/SgIs2x1L70
Anthony Davis is LeBron's newest teammate. He is a beast inside the paint. The Brow has led the league in blocks three-times and have been named in the All-Defensive and All-NBA teams four times each.
Davis helped LeBron James win his most recent championship in 2020, all the while averaging 27.7 points and 9.7 points in rebounds. For LeBron, Anthony's presence as a defensive and offensive beast created the perfect opportunities and environment needed to win his fourth ring and Finals MVP.
Kevin Durant's best teammates
#1 Stephen Curry
Throwback to this legendary sequence from LeBron and Steph Curry https://t.co/K2VqPPMkDk
Undoubtedly the best teammate Kevin Durant has ever had, Steph Curry is arguably the best three-point shooter of all-time. He has broken pretty much every shooting record in the league. The three-time champion, two-time scoring champion and two-time MVP played alongside KD for three seasons from 2016-17 to 2018-19.
In those three seasons, Curry averaged 27.27 points, 6.1 rebounds and 5.93 assists in the playoffs series. For the same three consecutive playoff seasons, Steph averaged 4.23 three-pointers per game. He helped Kevin Durant win his first and second rings and also his two back-to-back Finals MVPs. Together, they defeated the LeBron James-led Cavs in two consecutive finals.
#2 Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook is currently one of the finest point guards in the league. His well-deserved nickname for Mr Triple Double highlights his proficiency as a scorer, playmaker and rebounder. Russell is the only player in the history of the game to average triple-doubles in four different seasons. The only other person to ever average a triple-double season, Oscar Robertson, did it only once.
As Durant's teammate, Russell averaged 23.1 points, 5.9 assists and 5.5 rebounds. The Westbrook-KD duo led the Oklahoma City Thunder to their only NBA finals in the 21st century. Russell ranks above Kyrie and Harden on this list due to his contribution in helping Kevin Durant reach his first finals and also because the trio of Harden, KD and Kyrie have not yet left their mark as exceptional teammates.
#3 Klay Thompson
Klay is a five-time All-Star and a three-time NBA champion. He is considered one of the most lethal shooters from downtown. His effort and performance alongside Durant in winning two rings for the Warriors is as prestigious as it gets. Unless Slim Reaper's new Brooklyn Nets teammates Irving and the Beard can consistently perform and win, they will not displace Thompson from the list of Kevin Durant's top three teammates.
Who had better supporting cast?
Even though KD had an exceptional supporting cast over the years, LeBron had legends supporting his cause and dreams. King James' incredible teammates not only performed brilliantly but won more championships and helped the former Heatles reach more finals than Durant's supporting cast could.
Also Read: Who is Kevin Durant’s Girlfriend, Cassandra Anderson?