Kevin Durant has nothing but praise for LeBron James: 'it's inspiring to see'

Although they are often pitted against one another, Kevin Durant respects LeBron James just as much as anyone else. Durant joined ETC's podcast to discuss how inspiring it is to see LeBron play so well after so long. In Durant's words:

"He still got that youthful energy. He popping around everywhere. Diving over the f**kin front row. Like still taking off on people. It's inspiring to see. As a competitor, it's like, man, f*** that, I can do that s*** too."

Kevin Durant praises LeBron James' longevity

Kevin Durant and LeBron James have six NBA titles, six Finals MVPs and five MVP awards combined. There's no doubt these are two of the best players of our generation, perhaps of all time. With that said, it's refreshing to see a narrative where LeBron and Durant aren't pitted against each other. Clearly, they each respect each other's game. For instance, when LeBron was asked who he believed could surpass him on the NBA's scoring list, he listed KD.

Kevin Durant is 34-years-old and preparing for his 16th NBA season. With that experience, comes an appreciation for LeBron's longevity. During the podcast, Durant marveled at LeBron's commitment, saying:

"But then it's like dang he's in year 20. He's 38 years old, he goes through so much. You know, off the floor, or as just a man in general. Family. He got so many responsibilities. Still love the game. Still getting up. Playing back-to-backs and s***. Still playing 40 minutes. It's like, man, salute."

The last time KD and LeBron shared a court was on Christmas day in 2018, back when KD was with the Warriors. He's now a Phoenix Sun and, as fate would have it, is scheduled play against the Lakers and LeBron on Oct. 26. This will be the second game of the regular season and hopefully, for the first time in a long time, LeBron and KD will both be healthy enough to face off.