JJ Redick believes LeBron James and Kevin Durant are under no pressure to win another championship: “Both of these guys’ legacies are secured”
LeBron James and his LA Lakers looked set going into this season due in part to their immense trades in the offseason. Meanwhile, for the Eastern Conference super team in Brooklyn, Kevin Durant, irving" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Kyrie Irving and James Harden were considered a trio to be reckoned with. Many of the assumptions going into this season were a Lakers-Nets NBA Finals.
Expectations were quashed early as James and his Lakers never got the ball rolling. Durant and his Nets quickly took the headlines for how well he was playing, but recently there have been similar troubles in Brooklyn.
Regardless of the troubles in both cities, former NBA player JJ Redick voiced his opinion on LeBron and KD:
“Both of these guys’ legacies are secured.”
.@jj_redick says LeBron and KD are under NO pressure to win another title.
"Both of these guys' legacies are secured!" https://t.co/5KGxpkfXxO
LeBron James and Kevin Durant under no pressure to win this years NBA championship
The Nets are on an eight-game losing streak entering Tuesday night's game against the Boston Celtics.
Kyrie Irving is only playing in certain away games because of his vaccination status, and Kevin Durant is dealing with an injury. KD has been out of the lineup since Jan. 15, when he suffered a sprained left MCL. He is expected back relatively soon, as following his injury the Nets said he should be out for only four to six weeks.
More troubles have surfaced in Brooklyn lately, with rumors of James Harden possibly going to the Philadelphia 76ers. Sources told Sam Amick of The Athletic that the 76ers “strongly believe” Harden will not be re-signing with the Nets in the offseason. Philly remains hopeful of getting James before the trade deadline, but sources said they have a more realistic path for acquiring him in the offseason.
Los Angeles’ difficulties seem to lie in their battles with injuries, COVID protocols and an inability to gain chemistry on the floor. Before the season, much of the narrative was immediate playoff contention and showtime basketball highlights. It has, in fact, been the opposite.
The Lakers (26-28) are ninth in the Western Conference. Anthony Davis’ return from injury has shown an immediate difference on the floor but has not resulted in wins. They have won two of their last five games, with Davis averaging 29 points and 13 rebounds.
Regardless of the poor performance from both teams, JJ Redick’s comments hold weight. Both LeBron James and Durant have already had phenomenal careers, establishing legendary greatness. Losing out on this year's championship should not affect their legacies.
Durant has won two NBA championships, an MVP Award and two Finals MVP awards. KD is averaging 29.3 points, 7.4 rebounds and 5.8 assists this season.
James became the NBA’s youngest player to ever reach 36,000 points on Dec. 28. James is the third player to have reached the milestone. First came Kareem-Abdul-Jabbar (38,387 points), and then Karl Malone (36,928).
On Dec. 29, ESPN analyst Marcus Spears said:
“LeBron James is the best basketball player I’ve ever seen”
.@mspears96 celebrates LeBron’s greatness after another career milestone.
“LeBron James is the BEST basketball player I’ve ever seen in my life!” https://t.co/rcsmQvXvf1
James, in his 19th season, is averaging 27.0 points, 7.4 rebounds and 7.4 assists in his 1,325 regular season appearances. He has four championships with four Finals MVP awards. The four-time MVP is averaging 29.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 6.4 assists this season.
Both KD and LeBron James have legendary accomplishments already. Taking another title home so late in their careers would only help the argument for which of the two is the better player. But as of now, they have woven themselves too tightly into the NBA’s history to be removed for simply missing a Finals appearance.