"I’m being compared to Michael Jordan, I’ve got to win" - Chris Broussard outlines how LeBron James thrived under the pressure of winning a championship while Kevin Durant couldn't

LeBron James and Kevin Durant made stunning moves to leave their teams to win their first titles. [Photo: Hoops Habit]

LeBron James and Kevin Durant were under pressure to win one title for their respective teams. They are all-time greats who will be judged not purely by their accomplishments but also by their championship haul.

Chris Broussard said they approached winning their first championship in similar ways. With the pressure mounting, they left their respective teams to win a title.

Here's what the Fox Sports analyst had to say on why pressure pushed them to do the unexpected:

“LeBron James felt the pressure to go to Miami because he knew I’m in that group [all-time greats]. ‘I’m being compared to Michael Jordan, I’ve got to win. Let me get these monkeys off my back and then I can do what I wanna do.’ And that’s what KD did! He went to Golden State to get the monkey off his back.”

After seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, LeBron James infamously took his talents to South Beach in search of a title. Playing for an organization with Pat Riley heading the front office and Erik Spoelstra coaching did wonders for his career.

Riley offered LeBron the chance to win his first ring alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. The "Heatles" went to the finals for four straight years, winning two. The monkey was off James' back in 2012.

12 YEARS AGO TODAY
LeBron James made "The Decision" to take his talents to South Beach! https://t.co/9A4kO7Ttm8

Kevin Durant followed the same blueprint in getting his first NBA title. After eight years with the OKC Thunder, Durant joined the rival Golden State Warriors. With Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, KD appeared in three consecutive NBA Finals, winning two rings.

But the similarities between the two ended there, according to Chris Broussard:

“And then he [Durant] felt like, ‘You know what, I got my two [championships], was finals MVP [twice] to boot, I can do whatever I want. I can go wherever I want, I don’t have to worry about the pressure of having to win rings.’ What he didn’t count on was people saying, ‘Oh, it wasn’t your team.’”

6 years ago today, Kevin Durant left OKC to sign with the Warriors. 6 years later, he could be on the move again.

Durant says he doesn’t regret leaving OKC for G.S. & said “I would do that sh*t a million time.”

KD won back-to-back titles with the Warriors in 2017 & 2018 🏆🏆 https://t.co/qRCxJOdBdz

KD went to Brooklyn to build a team of his own. The results have been less than he expected, with little to no playoff success. He recently requested a trade from the Brooklyn Nets.

As @KingJames returns to his hometown for the first time as a member of Lakers, we look back to 2016 when he delivered a championship to the city of Cleveland.

🏀: #LakeShow ⁠ x #BeTheFight
⏰: 8:00pm/et 📺: ESPN https://t.co/jSezpku3ll

LeBron James added two championships to his resume. He delivered on his promise to bring a title to Cleveland and led the LA Lakers to their 17th title.

LeBron James was a big reason why Kevin Durant couldn't lead his team to an NBA championship as a franchise player

LeBron James' Miami Heat beat Kevin Durant's OKC Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals. [Photo: FTW USA Today]

The chase for an NBA title between LeBron James and Kevin Durant reached a crescendo when they met in the 2012 finals. James famously underperformed in 2011 against the Dirk Nowitzki-led Dallas Mavericks. In 2012, the pressure to win was as significant as ever.

Meanwhile, Kevin Durant was the franchise player of a growing powerhouse in the West. He was only 23 years old when he led the OKC Thunder to the Finals. The Thunder's roster featured three future MVPs in KD, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. They won only one game against the "Heatles."

Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden's Thunder fate could've been different had they won against the Heat in the 2012 NBA Finals.

Maybe KD wouldn't have stops in the Warriors and Nets' turfs. Maybe Russ and the Beard would still be in OKC. Who knows? 🤷‍♂ https://t.co/BjIGLuih2t

The 2012 NBA Finals was the closest Kevin Durant was to winning a championship as the sole leader.