LeBron James calls Kevin Durant one of the best basketball players of all time

For nearly half a decade, there were no matchups between LeBron James and Kevin Durant in the NBA. Fortunately, there were early-season meetings between the two stars last season when the Los Angeles Lakers and Phoenix Suns met, most notably in a quarterfinal matchup in the In-Season Tournament, which James emerged victorious from.

However, Durant and James are in the final stages of their careers, meaning there aren’t many one-on-one matches left. But the 2024 Paris Olympics were a saving grace, as these two legends came together for the final time.

This Olympic run for the US team was significant as James, Durant and Stephen Curry were the team’s frontrunners despite being in their late 30s. But that doesn’t mean they can’t still put on legendary performances as each of the three had their moments during the run.

Ultimately, the United States was able to win another gold medal, its fifth in a row. It’s hard to give equal credit given the number of stars, but James gave Durant his fair share of credit, calling him one of the greatest players of all time, via Sam Amick of The Athletic:

“KD?” James said in response. “KD is one of the all-time greats. There’s no question about it. I mean, you just have to look at his silhouette, his skill level. He’s one of the best basketball players we’ve ever seen play basketball.”

While Curry stole the show with his late heroics in the gold medal game against France, Durant also scored timely goals by sinking some contested mid-range shots. Despite battling calf issues during the U.S. exhibition program, Durant made an immediate impact upon his return.

Much like James, the 35-year-old forward is a one-of-a-kind scorer, and fans are realizing that this trio will never be on the same team again. That they recognize and appreciate that is special, even if they will be enemies again come the start of the 2024-25 NBA season.

LeBron James hopes the US team’s Olympic run can “inspire people”

Next up is the 2028 Olympic Games, which are set to take place in Los Angeles. This will give the USA a chance to show off a little of its home turf. But Team USA could look very different in four years.

In that sense, LeBron James hopes his run in 2024 can “inspire people” given the aging stars that were on that roster.

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