Tuesday, September 11th, 2012 at 1:15 pm  |  80 responses

LeBron James, Kevin Durant Training Together Again


For the second consecutive offseason, superstars Kevin Durant and LeBron James are training together, partaking in a series of grueling workouts to hone their skills and prepare for the upcoming NBA season. Durant and James initially bonded during last summer’s lockout, but this year, with the backdrop of the 2012 NBA Finals surrounding them, fans and pundits are critical of this move, especially on Durant’s part. What do you think? … Via ESPN.com: “The Oklahoma City Thunder star has joined the Miami Heat Most Valuable Player for a series of collaborative and grueling two-a-day workouts near James’ hometown in Akron, Ohio, sources told ESPN. Last year the two dubbed the process ‘hell week’ and credited it with helping them start on a path to facing each other in last June’s Finals. ‘We pushed each other every day,’ James said about last year’s workouts. ‘At the time, I envisioned us getting to (the Finals) against each other.’ This summer, just a couple weeks after the Heat beat the Thunder in the Finals, James and Durant played on Team USA together for the first time and won a gold medal in London.”

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  • Hooper

    That doesn’t mean players can’t try to learn from one another to try and at LEAST get some kind of mental edge, or extra motivation to be the best they can be..
    You wouldn’t catch Jordan working with Isiah because they really and probably still hate each other. But, as far as I’m concerned he would help most. I bet the number of players that actually had MJ as a teammate never asked how he worked, or worked as hard as him. Scottie sometimes, but there’s something else that drives MJ: Failure.
    KD feels overlooked, and feels he is better than what people give him credit for. He said he thinks his time is now. Lebron is hungry to keep winning, something he loves is winning and if it brings rings in the process that motivates him more.!

  • hooper

    you don’t know his situation or struggles .? that’s just dumb too say. KD is blessed, he knows he is blessed, and he is happy to bring his Mom around for his career. Lebron’s mom is virtually everywhere he goes too , but you’re only saying KD is soft because he lost. If Lebron won what would be your irrelevant argument and comments .? SMH .

  • roscoe

    Most ppl agree timing is important in life & imo 2 nba superstars that just went head to head in the finals should not be working out together, especially for the one that failed in the finals.
    It is like 2 guys going for the same girl & then the guy that loses out goes to the movies with the new couple and buys them popcorn. SMH… you have some good points, but KD is doing it all wrong Hooper.
    imo… kd should be physically sick to some degree after failing in the finals & at minimum not want to be in the same gym with the guy who ran his squad off the court for the title.

  • roscoe

    You don’t have any brothers do you?

  • aicomeback

    how is deron williams soft….?

  • roscoe

    He ran Sloan out of Utah using the excuse Sloan did not prepare the team enough specifically with video, but in reality he hated the motion offense as well as playing in Utah.
    Do you believe Karl malone’s opinion means anything? Malone had Sloan’s back when Deron did all he could to throw Sloan under the bus. Malone backed off at the team’s request, but don’t kid yourself D. Williams is like so many NBA stars that believe they are owed everything after they show their amazing talents.
    Keep in mind D.W. has skills imo, but he does not have the make up. Just read what he said about going back and forth about signing with Dallas or Brkyln… btw Sloan is one of the greatest coaches ever, but he is not a players coach.

  • roscoe

    imo KD is blessed, talented, and a nice guy. I enjoy watching him play.
    Taking his family to games or hugging them is not a problem, those are good things.
    But, imo KD is SOFT, not bc he lost in the finals, but bc he hangs w/ Bron bron after losing to him in the finals outside of the Olympic team.

  • roscoe

    KD failed in the finals to Bron bron. KD 0 – 1 in the finals. Does how he failed matter?

  • roscoe

    KD plays w/ Fire and is smooth, but he is SOFT imo for hanging w/ Bron bron after getting run in the finals. He is not doing himself right in the public eye by tweeting out what he did imo.

  • Hooper

    But, you see that’s where your wrong about KD. He believes in his team, the coach, and his abilities. He has faith that they’ll get it done. He’s not going to change because he lost. Its going to make him a better player. There’s no wrong or right way to do it. Its KD’s choice. If he choose to learn from an NBA champion and vice-versa there really is no problem. I haven’t heard anything really but KD is soft and now he’s changing to Lebron’s puppet.
    And I’m sure through the workouts KD will be trying to outdo Lebron, and what not. Plus, they just came off the Olympic gold together. There is no hate. Made them closer as friends and competitors. That’s where the ultimate respect comes.
    Westbrook said it was awkward for them to be good friends and teammates when they just lost to Lebron in the Finals. But, they sacrificed that bitterness to win gold. Just like KD is using Lebron to get better and push himself.

  • Hooper

    Now you’re just bitter for no reason . lol . that’s your argument. they’re working out to get better and improve . Have you seen KD doing anything for Lebron but make him work harder .? You are foolish . lol

  • bigA

    Now it makes sense. They aren’t friends, they are brothers!
    So no problem with them working out together.

  • bigA

    Yes, you idiot. One can lose without failing.

  • Drig

    I thought it was only about conditioning??? And shooting some jumpers to lose that rust. They aren’t practicing anything serious to improve skills wise if I’m not mistaken

  • Drig

    The hell does that mean??? I don’t get it…..I’ve got a brother. I hate losing to him. But that doesn’t mean I go outta my way to stop seeing him. I wouldn’t also reject something that would benefit both of us just because I lost to him earlier lol. That’s idiotic. Also, I have tons of pals who’re my rivals in different fields.

  • Drig

    For the last time, THEY’RE ONLY DOING CONDITIONING training. It’s not like they’re gonna start doing tons of passing drills together. Being a man doesn’t only mean having an ego. It sometimes also means doing things that probably aren’t to your liking but will only benefit you long term. Also, what’s with the enemies stuff?? It makes for a good narrative while watching the games but I’m pretty sure none of the guys you mentioned up there hated each other ( except Zeke and MJ probably ). Another thing is that LBJ’s been pretty humble about winning the ring over KD all through the summer. KD himself said that. So I don’t know where you’re getting all that took his cookie stuff.

  • Drig

    Actually, it’s like 2 guys who’re pals, who try for the same girl, and who don’t mind hanging out when the girl’s not THE topic of discussion even after she chooses one over the other.

  • LLC#12

    Is it ever possible to take a comment written entirely in caps seriously?

  • Hooper

    what I mean is going through a grueling week of workouts is getting their mind right for training camp. and the sharpening I meant just getting back into rhythm after taking some time off to rest from all the games. The majority is conditioning. Some ball workouts.
    They this last year. Its on Youtube.

  • hooper

    Lmaaao nope . just one of those things to take up space smh.

  • Comment_System

    what a terrible analogy.

  • Comment_System

    you’re the ONLY one in here saying that he’s soft. The f*ck are you talking about the public?

  • david engel

    I like it. You don’t have to hate another player to play well against them. Think of it as Pacino and De Niro in Heat. Respect your adversary.

  • The Philosopher

    LONG… LIVE… THE KING.

  • roscoe

    2 answer u… they tweeted out their get together. Everyone knows players from different teams play against each other in the summer, but not many players, if any, are tweeting they are best buds with the guy who beat em in the finals, unless you are reading things I have not.
    How can you believe KD hanging w/ Bron bron after failing in the finals is cool? Unreal.

  • roscoe

    I am not bitter… just old skool. Kd can go to dinner w/ Bron bron & be best friends, but the line is crossed w/ what he did imo considering he failed in the finals to Bron bron.

  • roscoe

    @drig: KD can be friends w/ Bron bron and see him… that’s okay & lame u believe that is my point. Imo kd should not workout with him after getting run in the finals.

  • roscoe

    @bigA: you must have kids in little league’s that don’t keep score.
    bigA = Soft.

  • roscoe

    @hooper: I am not going to tell you that you don’t understand KD’s characteristics, but I am going to state you are blinded by a legitimate KD man-crush.

  • z

    id say that this is good for kd to do assuming that bron is talking crap to him about how mia won the finals. If bron is rubbing it in, then i think that’ll only pour fuel on kd’s competitve fires and make him wanna win that much more, wanna take bron’s lunch when they see each other oncourt. However, my impression of bron is that he’s too nice a guy to be doin that, and is probly not, which makes me think there’s a POSSIBILITY that kd will subconciously ease up when facing lebron, so as not to show up his friend (from what i understand bill russell used this strategy of softening up wilt by being his friend with great effectiveness). So i think it all comes down to whether bron is taking mj’s attitude towards clyde the glide after the 92 finals or taking russell’s attitude towards wilt.

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