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Really Been Enjoying the Fallout of Kevin Durant Comparing LeBron James Joining the Sixers to KD Joining the Warriors
By Matt Schultz
Published:
This is a good story. I’m having fun. If you haven’t been keeping up, I’ll fill you in, but just know that it’s a very complicated case, Maude. Lot of ins, lot of outs, lot of what have you’s.
Here’s the gist: Kevin Durant compared LeBron joining the Sixers to when KD joined the 2016-2017 Warriors, and implied that LeBron’s decision is worse because the Sixers roster he’s joining is better than the Warriors roster Durant joined. Let’s begin…
Kevin Durant is Caught in a Cope
“The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the (Warriors) team I was on. They (the Sixers) got four 25-point scorers on this team.”
It’s an insane claim, of course. LeBron is 41 and joining a Sixers team that won 45 games last year and a franchise that hasn’t won a championship since 1983. Durant was in his prime when he joined the 2016-2017 Warriors, who had just won an NBA-record 73 games and the Finals without him.
KD clearly said this as a cope to make himself feel better about his decision to join the Warriors. Seems like he still feels weird about doing that and is upset that everyone still thinks that was a lame move all these years later:
the difference is context. the Warriors had already won a championship and set a 73-win record before KD arrived. people weren't reacting to talent alone, they were reacting to the balance of power.
— earl. 👻 (@EarlGambary) August 1, 2026
He’s so salty. The comparison isn’t even close lol
— Jersey Shore Knicks Guy (@njshoreknicks) August 1, 2026
@KDTrey5 the difference is that you chose to make a pussy bitch move by joining a 73 win team that u blew a 3-1 lead against, in your prime, because you couldn’t over the hump. Bron is 41 and joining a team that hasn’t won a championship since TV was black and white
— jay (@0lives262) August 1, 2026
KD Doubles Down on Instagram
From there, Durant took to the Instagram comments to engage with some folks who pushed back on his comparison. Responding to someone who said the Sixers’ current talent isn’t even close to his Warriors teams, KD said this:
“Ain’t close lmao. Joel, mvp recently. Jaylen brown, recent finals mvp, Tyrese Maxey, all star the last 3 years. We all know what bron does. Klay Thompson, never a mvp candidate in anything, 22ppg. Draymond, 14ppg 7 rebounds 6 assist, Steph a mvp just like Joel was. I don’t get how the warriors team is better on paper”
Truthfully, I gotta say, I do like that he’s hyping up this Sixers team. I agree that they’re going to be good. But his argument is terrible. And Klay Thompson doesn’t like it:
Klay Thompson Enters the Ring
After seeing Durant was talking some shit about him, Klay posted this to his Instagram story:
Can’t blame for Klay hopping into the conversation at this point. “Klay Thompson never a mvp candidate of nothing” is harsh as hell. It’s also so damn funny. Even typing it out just now made me laugh. What a brutal way to talk about one of the best shooters ever, a four-time champion, a career 40.9% three-point shooter, a guy who averaged 18.5 PPG and 3.9 RPG across six Finals appearances, and a former teammate. Evan Turner agrees with me:
The Media Hops In
The KD vs. the old Warriors vs. the new Sixers feud has been a talking point in NBA media for a few days now, and I think Nick Wright made one of the more interesting points I’ve heard by suggesting KD’s delusional outlook is tied to him feeling angry and unappreciated for what he did in Golden State:
“It is wildly fascinating that Durant wants to keep having this fight. That it’s been 10 years. He won his championships. He left there in sports heroic fashion, going out, you know, on a bad leg to try to win a third straight championship, and tragically blew his Achilles. Never felt he got the respect, or love, or adoration that he deserved. And is still fighting that war. Because nobody… in their right mind thinks there is an actual valid comparison between where the Warriors were in the summer of 2016 and where the Sixers are in the summer of 2026. And where Kevin Durant was in the NBA hierarchy of 2016 and where LeBron is in the summer of 2026.”
Draymond Green Has Also Been Trolling Intermittently
“You have to understand the way KD view basketball. The way KD view basketball is very Uncle Drew-ish: this game will and always will be about buckets… That is how KD see the game, so he’s going to mention the 25-point scorers… He also said the Sixers are better on paper than the Warriors were in 2016-2017. I don’t know that I can agree with that. (laughs) I don’t really think it works. But, that’s KD’s opinion.”
I don’t really like Draymond, but there’s probably some truth to this. It’s a solid point. Although Draymond’s bias is clearly coming through here — of course Draymond undervalues pure bucket-getters and writes them off as Uncle Drew guys because that’s not his game and he could never, ever do that. But still, a good slam. I thought this tweet summed up this argument pretty well, too:
Draymond also threw in this jab on Threads, talking about Kevin Durant arguing with strangers online and calling out Klay by name:
And that’s everything. You’re all caught up. This stuff rules. It’s pretty fun to have the Sixers at the center of basketball discourse. It’s also nice that the Sixers are the reason Kevin Durant and his old Warriors buddies are becoming more and more estranged. Hope this stuff never ends. Would like to hear more commentary from Evan Turner, too.
Matt Schultz is a comedy and sports writer from Philadelphia. He’s written extensively for ClickHole, The Onion, and Conan O’Brien’s Team Coco. His work has been featured in Vulture, Deadspin, The A.V. Club, Paste Magazine, and other publications. Much of his sports journalism can be found on college basketball websites that don’t exist anymore (PhilaHoops Heads rise up…) email: M.Schultz@sportradar.com