LeBron James and Kevin Durant were once criticized for being “too close” as the two all-time greats worked out together (and reportedly recorded a rap track) during the NBA’s 2011 lockout.
During Game 4 of the 2017 NBA Finals, though, there were no signs of that off-court friendship, as the two All-Stars drew double technical fouls early in the third quarter for jawing at one another.
The sequence took place just seconds after Durant was fouled hard (flagrantly so, according to the call on the floor) and Golden State’s Finals MVP favorite was clearly agitated by the contact. While the argument between Durant and James wasn’t exactly clear in terms of content, it was certainly noteworthy to see them virtually nose to nose for an extended period of time.
It seemed relatively clear that both players were not ready to come to blows or anything like that but tensions were clearly running high. On the Cleveland side, the momentum of a sizable lead and an electric crowd undoubtedly fueled James’ adrenaline. For the Warriors, the frustration of perceived officiating issues and a mounting deficit clearly existed for Durant.
In the end, nothing terribly wild took place but it isn’t often that arguably the two best players in the sport draw technical fouls for an incident involving one another.
