Kevin Durant finding it difficult to share the court with LeBron James weeks after NBA Finals loss
Weeks after Kevin Durant took the court to face off against LeBron James and the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals; he is back on the court with his rival to prepare for the London Olympics.
The Oklahoma City Thunder lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals this year, with the final game played on Friday 22nd June. The duel between Durant and James, a three time scoring champion and the reigning MVP, was one of the most profiled clashes in NBA history.
James won that battle hands down and two weeks later, KD is on the court alongside James in Las Vegas for the U.S Olympic team training sessions.
Having to see the player who shattered his NBA Championship dream, more so play on the same side as him, must be difficult. And Durant recently admitted to that;
“It does. It does, but what can I do? He's my teammate now. I'm a team player. I can't let that affect this. This is bigger than that. It's tough to lose in the Finals and play the guy you've been going up against for five games who beat you. So me, I'm just going to get over it, still be a great teammate, come out and play hard,” said Durant.
Kobe Bryant knows all what Durant is going through. He reached the U.S training camp for the 2008 Olympics having just lost in the NBA Finals to the Boston Celtics. He says that Durant has had time to recover from the heartbreak of an NBA Finals loss, but added:
“But then again, I wasn't playing on the Olympic team with, you know, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce and (Kevin) Garnett. He's got to look at LeBron every day. I didn't have to do that.”
James is also well aware of what it feels like to lose in the NBA Finals. He and the Miami Heat lost to the Dallas Mavericks in the 2011 NBA Finals, James’ first season with the Miami Heat. He received much criticism after failing to make any impact in the series and particularly coming up empty in crucial fourth quarters.
He says he hardly wanted to do anything in the days following that loss, and understands what Durant must be going through.
"It bothers him. I bet it bothers him and Russell (Westbrook), you know, they probably don't want to hear about it. It would bother me, it would bother anyone that you lose to someone in the Finals,” said James.
Durant and James are good friends and James invited Durant to train with him last summer in Ohio. They share a relationship based on mutual respect. That helps Durant play with James on the team and contribute to the success of the team.
He admits that he is now focused on the Olympics and wants to do whatever he can to help his country win gold medal. That would require a lot of team work with James. Durant was the most impressive player on the U.S roster in the 2010 FIBA World Basketball Championship. He is looking to continue the same form in London as he attempts to put the heartbreak of the past season behind him.
Tags: