Why Kevin Durant Had Nothing but Respect for LeBron James After He Joined 76ers Superteam

Kevin Durant shared his honest take on seeing LeBron James. join the 76ers this offseason. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

LeBron James has finally made his decision, and to the surprise of many around the NBA world, he chose the 76ers.

The former Lakers star believed Philadelphia gave him the best chance to compete for another title, as he wrote in a social media post explaining his free agency move, and now he’ll look to become the first ever NBA player to win a championship with four different franchises.

It’s not lost on fans and pundits alike that the 76ers boast one of the most stacked rosters heading into the 2026 season, having traded for ex-Celtics forward Jaylen Brown earlier this sumer. One critic of James’s decision compared him to other GOATs like Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan and openly questioned on Instagram Threads why James didn’t “stick around” to “build dynasties.”

Rockets star Kevin Durant came to James’s defense and commented, “Who cares, they all played 15+ years and gave everything to the culture of sports and s---, the world itself. All the other s--- is noise to me. I get why u look at it that way, you’re spectator but when u live it, u see s--- different.”

Durant continued to clap back at James’s haters and defend James’s untarnished legacy, claiming that “LeBron embodies the game of basketball, I’m defending the game itself.”

“How he moves is not gettin in your way at all,” Durant replied to a Threads user who had a problem with James’s lack of humility. “How u feel don’t change the truth about what he’s produced as a basketball player. U don’t know this man personally but have personal disdain like he really f----- your life up. U in too deep my boy.”

Durant closed out his spiel by criticizing “goat lists” and spurring fans to “debate” him on the topic of James being on of the top five players of all time.

"Goat list are the most watered down thing. ... Yall burnt it all out,” Durant wrote. “Kobe Bron and MJ top 5 ever. Debate me.”

Charles Barkley calls out LeBron James for “stacking” his team in Philly

Durant is, of course, infamously known for playing a few superteams himself. Hunting for his then-first elusive ring, he hopped aboard a 73-win Warriors team that had just beaten his Thunder and proceeded to win back-to-back championships in 2016 and ‘17 along with two Finals MVP awards. He then joined forces with Kyrie Irving and James Harden on the Nets in a woefully unsuccessful experiment in Brooklyn, before teaming up with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal on the Suns a few years later.

Durant may hold more empathy for an aging player like himself trying to end his decorated career with one final glorious run. NBA analyst Charles Barkley, however, does not.

Shortly after the news broke, Barkley defiantly called out James for “stacking” his team in hopes of winning a fifth ring.

“I think number one it would be incredible [if James won a title in Philly],” Barkley said. “But the number one knock on LeBron for older guys like myself has always been: Yo, man, you’re always stacking your team. He stacked his team in Miami, he stacked it in Cleveland, he stacked it in L.A., now he’s stacking it in Philly. So that to me, I’m gonna still have the same criticism I’ve always had. He’s always stacked his team.”

Charles Barkley calls out LeBron:

“He stacked his team in Miami, he stacked it in Cleveland, he stacked it in LA, now hes stacking it in Philly… He’s always stacked his team” pic.twitter.com/i5jSZuNKHm

— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) July 24, 2026

James snubbed two of his former franchises, the Cavaliers and the Heat, and also passed on likely his last chance of linking up with Steph Curry on the Warriors, in his ultimate decision to head to Philly.

He unashamedly joins a 76ers superteam featuring the likes of Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey who are already excitedly rubbing their hands and giddy for The King’s royal arrival. James, who’s entering his age 42 campaign, has made it to the NBA Finals on 10 separate trips with the Cavaliers, Heat and Lakers. Father Time will tell if he’s got a few more championship runs left in him.

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