Ben Golliver
Multiple Authors
LADERA RANCH, Calif. — Houston Rockets ahead Kevin Durant stated Saturday that LeBron James and the new-look Philadelphia 76ers have the offensive firepower to compete for the 2027 NBA championship.
What’s extra, Durant evoked his two Golden State Warriors championship teams, which additionally featured Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, when praising the mixed scoring prowess of Philadelphia’s James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
“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,” Durant stated at a USA Basketball occasion Saturday. “[The 76ers] have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they’re going to be a contender. They’re going to be a fun team to watch. It’s going to be League Pass-worthy.”
Brown, Embiid and Maxey all averaged at the very least 25 factors per sport final season. James has averaged 25 factors per sport or extra in 20 of his 23 seasons, most not too long ago for the 2023-24 Los Angeles Lakers.
James, 41, introduced on July 24 that he would be a part of the 76ers relatively than the Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers or Miami Heat after weighing his newest free company transfer for greater than three weeks. While Durant, 37, stated he had no advance discover concerning the choice, he believes the rising buzz across the 76ers is “only going to help” develop curiosity within the NBA.
“I didn’t know at all,” Durant stated. “LeBron is stealth like that. I know there’s a lot of noise around him, but you never know what’s on his mind. I’m happy for him. It’s a great decision for him to go to a team that has a good chance to win. Philly is a great fanbase, a great market, and it’s great for the league. There were so many eyes that were tuned in to his decision.”
After buying Brown from the Boston Celtics in a commerce and including James on a two-year, $8 million contract, oddsmakers now view the 76ers as one of many main title contenders, trailing solely the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
Philadelphia is looking for its first championship since 1983, and James is vying to change into the primary participant in NBA historical past to win a championship with 4 completely different franchises.
Durant, who spoke at a USA Basketball Foundation charity occasion in Southern California, additionally stated he desires to compete within the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 2014 NBA MVP, who can be 39 years outdated throughout the upcoming competitors, might change into the primary males’s basketball participant to win 5 Olympic gold medals if the Americans can win the boys’s event for the sixth straight time.
Durant and James received gold medals as teammates within the 2012 London and 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It’s really on [USA Basketball managing director] Grant Hill and what Team USA wants to do,” Durant stated. “I stay on top of my game and hopefully I get that call, but there’s so many great players who deserve to be on the team.”
