Thursday, September 13, 2012

Lebron James & Kevin Durant: Best Friends, Training Partners, Who Cares?



Skip Bayless is undeniably the biggest Lebron James hater.  Do not get me wrong; I appreciate sports announcers who offer reasonable opinions about players, but I despise those who make outrageous remarks for the sake of fan retention.  I do not know Skip personally, but from what I see on television, I do not think we would get along.  Seriously, I am unsure if Lebron James physically assaulted him, or slapped his son, or stole his girlfriend, but it is clear that Skip hates him.   He refers to him as “Queen James,” which is clearly a derogatory phrase. Frequently, he has said that Lebron does not play with “heart” and that he “choked” during the 2011 NBA finals.  I think it is fair to say that he choked in the 2011 NBA Finals.  But, I think it is unfair to say he does not play with “heart.”  Yesterday, however, he said a few things that are downright ridiculous.  He said that Lebron James “owns” Kevin Durant because they train together during the NBA offseason.  He also alluded to the fact that Lebron finally won an NBA championship because he competed against his "friend," Kevin Durant.  Anyone who watched the Finals knows that James and Durant both wanted to win the NBA title.  In fact, Durant cried when his team was unsuccessful.      
So what was Skip Bayless talking about?  Apparently, Kevin Durant and Lebron James have trained together during the past two summers.  According to Bayless, because Durant has traveled to Akron, Ohio to train, Lebron “owns” him.  That idea is as ridiculous as it sounds.  They forged a relationship during the lockout shortened 2011 offseason.  They also played in a number of charity basketball games and they arranged a friendly flag football game.  Skip Bayless does not approve of James and Durant working out together.  Who cares?  They are widely recognized as the two best players in the world.  Why not train together and make each other better?  What is the problem with that?    
This conversation begs the question: Would Michael Jordan have trained with one of his rivals?  Would he have trained with Magic Johnson, or Larry Bird?  The answer is most certainly “no.”  Would Kobe have ever trained with Allen Iverson, Vince Carter or Tracy McGrady?  Again, the answer is most certainly “no.”  Although the previously mentioned athletes probably would not have trained together, I am sure they each wanted to train against the best talent.  From a tactical perspective, what is a better method of spying on your rivals than training with them?  I would love to sit down and learn from some of the most skilled attorneys in the state.  A lot can be said about learning from the best.  The media selling a story that a player somehow “sold out” his franchise because he worked with a rival probably plays a bigger role than the players not wanting to work with each other.  It is political.  I digress. 
An important fact that is rarely discussed is the impact Amateur Athletic Union (“AAU”) teams have had on NBA players.  When Michael Jordan, Larry Bird and Magic Johnson were in high school, AAU basketball was not prevalent.  In fact, I am not even sure it existed.  If it did, it was certainly not the juggernaut that it is today.  Allen Iverson and Tracy McGrady benefited from AAU basketball.  The student-athletes on their level are afforded opportunities to travel domestically and internationally and compete against the best high school players in the world.  That said, big time players have an opportunity to meet and develop relationships with other big time players over the course of years.  So, when the players reach the NBA, they already have a group of people who have traveled a similar path and that they feel comfortable confiding in.  The value of being able to trust someone cannot be underestimated in the often shady world of professional sports. I think that because James and Durant developed relationships through AAU, or USA National Teams or Olympics Teams, it is easier for them to trust one another.  However, that does not mean that they do not want to beat their “friend” even more than they want to best an enemy.  Personal bragging rights among friends is important to most people and that includes super star NBA players.  James and Durant may train together, but best believe they want nothing more than to beat each other on the biggest stage.  Lebron has the upper hand now, but I imagine that will only make Durant work that much harder.  The result: Miami Heat v. Oklahoma City Thunder (Part two)—June 2013 NBA Finals.

That is a win for NBA fans.


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Peace   

   

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