Getty LeBron James with Kevin Durant.
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant and Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James have been linked to each other throughout their careers. The two future Hall of Famers met in the NBA Finals on three separate occasions, with Durant besting LeBron in two of the matchups.
As one of Nike’s signature athletes, Durant got to tour LeBron’s new building on the campus of the company’s headquarters. During his tour of the building, he saw a few pairs of the Lakers star’s unreleased sneakers and implored LeBron to release them to the general public.
“Should’ve dropped those, fam,” Durant said on Instagram.
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LeBron Sounds off on His Innovation Center
If you had any doubt about LeBron’s legendary status, Nike’s Innovation Center, appropriately named after him, should remove any second thoughts. Per Complex, the 85,000-square-foot facility features body scanners, environmental chambers, multiple tracks, and areas where prototype sneakers can be made in under an hour.
The Lakers star describes the feeling of having a building named after him on Nike’s campus as “surreal”.
“Over the course of my career and my time here at Nike, for all of this to come together is surreal. Sometimes it doesn’t make sense to me, but I’m definitely honored, “James told Brendan Dunne of Complex in 2021.
“Having my name on the Innovation building feels very fitting because I’m always trying to figure out ways I can continue to innovate and continue to break the timeline of what they say is your prime.”
“I never imagined something like this.”
Even LeBron James was amazed by the new LeBron James Innovation Center 🤯
LeBron Was Catalyst of Potential Durant, Curry Reunion
Durant requested a trade from the Nets in June after being eliminated from the playoffs by the Boston Celtics. As he enters the latter years of his thirties, Durant was concerned about the direction of the franchise from a competitive standpoint. And despite signing a 4-year, $198 million extension with the Nets during the previous summer, he was anxious to cut ties with the franchise.
Durant ultimately chose to stay with the Nets and return for his third season with the franchise. But before that, there was a real possibility of him getting traded back to the Golden State Warriors, the team with whom he won the only two titles of his career.
NBA analyst Ric Bucher says that Durant and Curry were in constant contact during the Nets star’s trade negotiations, and LeBron was the catalyst that was fueling a potential reunion.
“A league source says Curry has reached out several times to Durant, eager to improve his chances of winning a fifth championship and surpassing LeBron James, with whom Curry is currently tied at four titles each,” Bucher wrote in July.
“Curry, playing in a golf tournament near Lake Tahoe, was asked about Durant possibly returning and gave an answer that was the equivalent of a drive straight down the middle of the fairway. He played it safe, not undermining his relationship with those currently on the roster yet not dismissing the idea of playing with KD again.”
LeBron and KD have not shared an NBA floor since he joined the Nets in 2019. It will be exciting to see them face off this season.