While the 2020 NBA Finals are in full swing after the Los Angeles Lakers dominant Game 1 win over the Miami Heat to take a 1-0 lead, another team in the Eastern Conference feels like they can make just as much of an impact in their first year together as LeBron James and Anthony Davis: Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets. The Nets were the 7th seed in the East and will add Durant and Irving next season, as well as the most surprising high-profile hire of the coaching off-season, making Hall of Fame point guard Steve Nash their head coach. And of course, if Irving and Durant one day meet LeBron in the Finals, there’s plenty of history to discuss. Even some that Irving conveniently forgot about during an appearance on Durant’s new ETCs podcast with Eddie Gonzalez.
When talking about what the Irving-Durant duo can do together, Irving said that playing with Durant is the “first time” he’s played with someone else who can hit difficult shots with the game on the line.
Kyrie says playing with KD is the first time he's been able to defer late in games 👀
(via @boardroom | @boardroompods) pic.twitter.com/qkJG5L9o2y
— ESPN (@espn) October 1, 2020
Irving, of course, may have the most iconic shot in NBA Finals history in his resume. But suggesting that LeBron “can’t” make those shots is patently false. In the 2018 playoffs alone, he had two playoff buzzer-beaters and in Game 5 of the 2020 Western Conference Finals, James had one of his greatest offensive finishes ever, burying the Denver Nuggets in a closeout game with a bevy of tough jumpers. Irving probably didn’t mean to slight James on purpose, but I doubt that’s something LeBron will much care about. He’s still got 3 more wins to get before he reaches his 4th championship.
