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Kevin Durant has repeatedly been considered by many as the next face of the NBA, suggesting he would be dethroning LeBron James. While this thought process can be said to be valid, KD won't be able to dethrone James and here are five reasons why.
Five reasons why Kevin Durant won't be dethroning LeBron James as the face of the NBA
#5 Possibly past his prime
It can be argued that Durant's prime is slowly winding down as age is no longer on his side and his fitness is questionable. Durant is not as fit as James was when he was his age, KD has been considered to be an injury-prone player in some circles. Durant has had to sit out in games quite a good number of times, even before his Achilles injury of 2019. He was only featured in 27 games in the 2014-15 NBA season due to injuries relating to his ankle, foot and toes.
James has been able to stay fit, relevant and at the top of his career by investing in his body. The 17-time NBA All-Star player is among a short list of athletes who spend the most amount money on their body fitness. James, who in the 2019-20 season (age 35) led his team to the NBA Finals and won his fourth championship ring, put up an MVP performance, averaging 27.6 points, 10.8 rebounds and 8.6 assists per game. His lowest number of games played in a regular-season is 55 and that was solely due to a groin injury he sustained in 2018.
#4 No leadership presence
Without any form of bias owing to LeBron James' time with my favorite team - the Miami Heat. King James has led every team he has played for. Starting from his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2005-06 season, James has always been the face of every franchise he has been a part of. He is currently the leader of the L.A. Lakers, and he led them to their NBA championship title in his debut season.
Durant's leadership has been in doubt even though he was a key player for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Russell Westbrook was the team's leader. He went on to join the Steph Curry-led Golden State Warriors and thereafter to the Brooklyn Nets, led by James Harden.
#3 Pursuit to join a super-team
Winning with the Nets might make his case as to why he should dethrone James as the face of the NBA, but he's still surrounded by already established players like Harden. The two-time championship ring holder only won those titles when he left the OKC Thunder to join the Warriors' super-team.
He joined the Warriors as a free agent, pairing up with superstars like Klay Thompson and Steph Curry on their roster. Durant's decision to join the Warriors was met with heavy criticism, with some pointing out that they didn't need him, as they had won a record 73 games in a season, and others questioning his loyalty as the Warriors had defeated the Thunder in the Conference Finals seven times. He is thought to have taken the easy route to a championship title.
However, a claim such as this can be said about James' 2010 decision to join the Heat with players like Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the roster. But James made a return in 2014 and in 2016, he led the Cavaliers to their first NBA championship.
#2 Defensive ability
Even with his wingspan, Durant is not a reliable player on the defense, as James has proven to be on multiple occasions.
In the 2020-21 NBA season, with Durant on the floor, opponents shot an effective field goal of 52.1% and recorded an offensive rebound percentage of .25. With James fielded, opponents manage an offensive rebound of 22.3% and an effective field goal percentage of .515.
James' ability to defend all positions and rebound the ball on both ends of the court sets him apart from Durant. Simply put, Durant is not a two-way player as LeBron is.
#1 Not an all-around player
While James is a consistent scorer, he is also an amazing playmaker. He scores and creates. The NBA's third-best scorer of all time is arguably the best all-around player in the history of the NBA. His 18-years long career has seen him play in several positions as a small forward, point guard, power forward, shooting guard and sometimes as a center.
That quality is lacking when it comes to Durant. No doubt he is a consistent scorer and a skilled player, but his play-making skills are incomparable to that of James and he cannot be classified as an all-around player.
