Fansided

30 best personal rivalries in the NBA today

By John Buhler

OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 18: Kevin Durant No. 35 of the Golden State Warriors and Russell Westbrook No. 0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder point in different directions after the ball went out of bounds at ORACLE Arena on January 18, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
OAKLAND, CA - JANUARY 18: Kevin Durant No. 35 of the Golden State Warriors and Russell Westbrook No. 0 of the Oklahoma City Thunder point in different directions after the ball went out of bounds at ORACLE Arena on January 18, 2017 in Oakland, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /
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You were waiting for this one, weren’t you? Of course, you were. No sport in North America puts more emphasis on star players than does the NBA. So it should come as no surprise that the two best players in the game today in LeBron James and Kevin Durant would make the list.

No, there is not a ton of animosity between the two. Durant does have the pettiness and James will throw out the occasional subtweet. However, it’s all about respect between these two superstar small forwards. We’re on a collision course for them to meet in the NBA Finals for the second year in a row.

James and Durant have met each other in the NBA Finals twice before. Back in 2013, James won his first NBA title over Durant’s Oklahoma City Thunder while he was with the Miami Heat. Last year saw Durant win his first championship as a member of the Golden State Warriors, beating Jame’s Cleveland Cavaliers in five games in 2017.

Durant may be the better pure shooter and better overall defender at this stage of his career. However, James is the most dominating physical specimen the NBA has seen since Shaquille O’Neal. Here’s to these two rivals meeting for a third time in June, this time for bragging rights. While James chases ring No. 4, Durant could get his second over James in consecutive seasons.

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