Thursday night’s game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Phoenix Suns was the first regular season game in which LeBron James and Kevin Durant played together since Christmas Day of 2018. For their devoted fan bases, both titans delivered fantastic performances.

The Lakers defeated the Warriors 100–95 thanks to a triple-double from Durant (39 points, 11 rebounds) and a double-double from LeBron James (21 points, 8 boards, 9 assists). Despite their history of animosity, the mutual regard between the two all-time great forwards is unshakeable.

Durant brought this up after the game, saying that everyone looks up to LeBron as a benchmark. “You see what he did, watch the highlights,” Durant remarked after reflecting on his career’s worth of games. His dominance in his third or fourth year in the league inspired me to follow in his footsteps and become a professional basketball player when I was a senior in high school.

Ankle pain causes Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns to postpone home debut – Axios

Someone you look up to as an inspiration; you’ll consider yourself successful if you can achieve even a little portion of his achievements. He is only a benchmark against which you may evaluate your own progress as a player. Upon his example, the entire league followed suit.

In this game against the Lakers, Durant was once again reminded of how difficult it is to deal with LeBron because of his savant-level basketball intelligence.

A tough one, according to Durant. He has devoted his whole coaching career to teaching teams particular plays to defend. His game has evolved to place a premium on film study.

His commentary is spot-on because he has mastered the art of video analysis and dissection as he has won tournaments. Trying to win over intelligent people is an uphill battle that never ends.

Even in his 21st year in the NBA, LeBron’s unparalleled comprehension of the game continues to distinguish him from every other player. The end outcome was a win that the Lakers desperately needed, and they had this to thank.