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Both LeBron James and Kevin Durant have been ruled out for the April 7th clash between the LA Lakers and Phoenix Suns. The news marks the latest milestone in what seems to be a curse that has spanned years - 1,564 days to be exact.
The last time the two men squared off was in 2018, when Durant played for the Golden State Warriors. Since then, something always seems to derail the highly anticipated matchups between the two players.
With the final games of the regular season upon us, fans will miss out on a LeBron James vs. Kevin Durant matchup once again. Naturally, fans were quick to provide some hilarious and even harsh reactions to the news.
LeBron James and Kevin Durant: A history of head-to-head matchups
Throughout the course of their careers, James and Durant have gone head-to-head on 35 separate occasions. Of those, 14 took place during the NBA Playoffs, with Durant picking up wins in nine of those playoff games.
When it comes to the regular season (15-6), and their overall head-to-head record (20-15), it's James who has the lead by five total games.
The first time the two played was on January 8th, 2008, when a young James and the Cleveland Cavaliers faced off against the Seattle SuperSonics. The game was a blowout win for the Cavaliers, 97-79, with LeBron James posting a 22-8-3 stat line that also included two steals.
(Suggested Reading: Fans hilariously react to Chet Holmgren's transformation)
On the flip side, Durant had quite the game himself, scoring 24 points on 50% shooting from the floor, while also hauling down six rebounds.
Now, let's fast forward to December 25th 2018, which was the last time these two legends faced off. With the full attention of the NBA community, the two players suited up for an epic Christmas Day clash, with LeBron and the LA Lakers picking up a 127-101 win.
LeBron James, who played just 21 minutes, still managed to rack up a double-double with 17 points and 13 assists. On the flip side, Durant struggled from the floor, scoring 21 points in 37 minutes while shooting just 5-13 from the floor and 3-8 from deep.
With almost five years gone by since the last time the two faced off, do you think the two will meet in the playoffs? Or will the curse continue?
