Kevin Durant said he had no idea LeBron James was joining the Philadelphia 76ers until the move was public, and he called the decision a strong one for both James and the NBA. Speaking on Saturday, Aug. 1, at the USA Basketball Foundation x RX3 Charity’s 3×3 tournament, Durant said James is hard to read and added that he was happy for him.
Durant’s reaction landed days after James announced on July 24 that he had signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. The size of the move is why it has drawn so much attention: James said he thought he was done when the season ended, then later made clear it was his last decision before choosing Philadelphia. Durant said the news brought eyes from everywhere, and he was not wrong.
He also made the case that the 76ers can contend right away. Durant called them a great fanbase and a great market, said they have a good chance to win and described them as a contender and a fun team to watch. He even said they would be League Pass-worthy, pointing to the scoring depth on a roster he described as having four 25-point scorers. That is his shorthand for a team built around several high-volume scorers, the kind of balance that can overwhelm opponents if it holds up across a long season.
The comparison also carried a warning from Durant’s own past. He said the last time a team put three 20-point scorers together, people called it unfair on the Warriors team he played on. This time, he said, the number is even more striking. The claim says as much about the ceiling of the Philadelphia roster as it does about the public reaction it is likely to trigger if the pieces fit.
There was, though, a harsher response to James’ move from outside basketball. Donald Trump attacked James personally after the announcement, showing how quickly a sports decision turned into a broader culture fight. Durant went the other way, saying the move should help the league and keep attention on the game itself, which is what makes his reaction stand out. He was talking about basketball. Others were not.
What remains unresolved is the simplest part of the story: whether James’ decision becomes the season-defining move it looks like on paper. Durant already sees Philadelphia as a contender, and James has already said this is his last decision. The next test is whether the 76ers turn all that noise, attention and star power into wins once the season starts.
