"LeBron’s way is that he’s going to control everything" - Colin Cowherd on the difference between LeBron James and Kevin Durant’s leadership styles
Kevin Durant and LeBron James have been two of the best players in the past decade. The two players are often talked about in the GOAT conversation, but James seems to have the upper hand.
However, Fox Sports analyst Colin Cowherd believes the two players are different in how they handle and lead their teams. Cowherd said on his show "The Herd" that Durant is so talented that the organization he plays for tries too much to please him.
Cowherd compared Durant's latest issues with James Harden to the leadership qualities of players such as LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Steph Curry. He noted that Durant is vastly different from his contemporaries, and does not possess the same leadership qualities:
"I think he's so talented that GMs, coaches, and owners have always tried to appease him, but in the end he's always left on an island. Let's think about some big winners in the NBA; they all do it differently. LeBron's way is that he's going to control everything. He's going to be a de-facto GM and a coach on the floor. He's into 'I got this,' and puts you on his back," Cowherd said.
"Michael Jordan didn't want to be the GM, but he would punch you if he didn't agree with you. He was very confrontational, and Kobe Bryant had some of that. Steph Curry is 'let's all get along,' I'm going to let the coach 'coach' and the GM 'GM.' Steph is going to facilitate a lot of different communication," Cowherd added.
Kevin Durant is playing for the third team of his career. At the OKC Thunder, he did not get along with Russell Westbrook at the end of their run. Durant won at Golden State, but he eventually realized it would never be his team. Now in Brooklyn, Harden demanded a trade, and now Durant is stuck with Ben Simmons and Kyrie Irving.
Team LeBron James will take on Team Kevin Durant at the 2022 All-Star Game in Cleveland
For the second straight season, it will be Team LeBron James against Team Kevin Durant at the NBA All-Star Game. And for the second straight season, Durant is set to miss the game due to an injury. Team James got a 170-150 victory last year, with Giannis Antetokounmpo getting the All-Star Game MVP.
Team LeBron's starters include Giannis Antetokounmpo, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic and DeMar DeRozan. His reserves are Luka Doncic, Darius Garland, Chris Paul, Jimmy Butler, Donovan Mitchell, Fred VanVleet and Jarrett Allen, who replaced the injured James Harden.
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Meanwhile, the starting five for Team Durant are Trae Young, Ja Morant, Andrew Wiggins, Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid. Their reserves include Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Zach LaVine, Khris Middleton, Rudy Gobert, LaMelo Ball and Dejounte Murray. The last two are injury replacements for Durant and Draymond Green, respectively.