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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  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    i don’t know why people don’t think they are friends. you don’t spend money and take time out of what is presumably very busy schedules, to work out with someone you don’t like.

  • Monkeyball

    It’s great that they’re working out together. I imagine the conversations before and after workouts will help Durant learn how Lebron was able to finally embrace the killer mindset. I think LBJ and KD are similar types of players in that they defer to teammates to maintain team harmony. They can be contrasted with the MJ, Bird, Kobe types, who want to be the hero every time.

    NBA success used to come to the harmony guys (Russell, Magic, Walton) and then MJ came and turned the whole thing around. Now Lebron had to become a killer and did, and Durant will eventually do the same.

  • Caboose

    Definitely. Today’s NBA simply doesn’t have the hate filled rivalry of Bulls/Pistons, Lakers/Kings, etc.

  • http://twitter.com/AjpDos Allen Powell

    The Seed will not be pleased.

  • http://twitter.com/AjpDos Allen Powell

    I don’t think they are real friends. I think Durant respects LeBron as a player, but I don’t think they are buddies. That’s just me.

  • LakeShow

    They are friends , but it seems to me that LBJ digs on Durant because of his work ethic and desire more than his infectious personality.
    Melo is more his ‘drinking buddy.’
    Wade is his team mate.
    Chalmers is his punching bag.
    Durant is his contemporary in the L.
    He respects him and know’s he can learn from him, and Durant is smart and realizes he can learn even more from LBJ.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    why would Durant travel to Akron to work out with LeBron just out of respect though? that doesn’t really make sense. They are friends. from Boston.Com “The two are friends, with James giving Durant advice since Durant’s high school days in Washington, D.C. When Durant was the second overall pick by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007, he consulted James for advice on being a potential franchise-saving player.”
    - Sports Illustrated has also labelled them as friends.

  • LakeShow

    But what do we know.
    Maybe he’s trying to get an edge on his main competition.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    you don’t get an edge on someone by working out next to them. you get an edge by playing against them, and witnessing their weaknesses. If Durant knows he’s faster sprinting in a pool than LeBron or vice versa, that doesn’t help anything. They aren’t competing with each other, they are working out.

  • LakeShow

    Wow, uh, yes you do get an edge on them by learning their habits and thought process.
    That’s ridiculous to say otherwise.
    Of course there is an edge to be gotten.
    Learning what LeBron likes doing in his workouts = thus in a game would greatly help someone when competing against him.
    The only way it wouldn’t help is if they both learn each other’s moves equally and then they both have an edge = thus no edge.

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    They aren’t playin basketball more than doing dribbling and shooting drills. It’s hell week. Which is primarily conditioning. You don’t learn anything about a basketball player that you have already spent a week working out with and played against in the finals by working out next to them. There are no basketball related habits to learn. I don’t know what kind of working out you think they are doing that would help prepare for the other in actual games. This is not basketball practice, it’s work outs.

  • LakeShow

    If you think there is no basketball practice going down, your naive.

  • Mr.Hooper

    blah. they are just sharpening their skills together. when you have two of the best in the game and at the same position. they worked with each other before, they both know each other’s games probably even more being in the Olympics together.
    Training camp is a few weeks away, and they are getting a headstart on their competition. Not only do they work hard on their craft, they are pushing each other to become better. The better KD is, the more LBJ has to elevate his performance and vice-versa. I think for the most part they know they are the two best players in the league, and after going from enemies in the Finals too being gold medalists in the Olympics they both understand each other from a basketball standpoint, mental and physical level too.
    The only objective they have here is to get in shape, and sharpen their skills a little before training camp. There’s nothing wrong with that. When season starts, they’ll be competing. Lebron knows KD is hungry and is ready, and he’s witnessed it. And Lebron is hungry to win, and to solidify his spot as an NBA great.

    And, if you know sports, there’s something about working with another superstar that makes you find a new level of passion and fire for the game.

    Not to mention, Magic Johnson I believe ran a breakfast club where NBA players would do workouts to sharpen their skills in the morning, and afterward he would make them all breakfast.

    Basically, KD and Lebron want to be great. What better way to do it than to have the two best players in the game , working behind the scenes off the court to another level so when season comes we see how much they improve from being with each other.

    Greatness inspires greatness my friends.!

  • Junior Taylor

    I can’t wait for the “KD plays with no fire” brigade to use this as another example of why KD lacks fire in their eyes instead of looking at this for what it is. Two cats who are fond of each other and respect each other’s game enough to train together. You don’t gain an edge by working out.

  • 23

    Who cares if Lebron hates/likes Durant. Why can’t we just enjoy watching them compete for top dog status. Why does everyone want nba players to hate each other. Seems childish imo. I actually like the fact that the 2 best players are training together. Id rather bron train with Durant than train with mario Chalmers. These guys are working hard and people still criticize!?? Lol

  • http://twitter.com/sooperfadeaway nbk

    Like I said nothing more than Dribbling and Shooting drills. Nothing that will show anything they don’t already know about one another. You guys are acting like they never met. They have already done a week workout, played on an Olympic team together, and competed in the finals against one another. And that’s just in the last year. Another 4 days of conditioning and shooting has literally nothing to do with gaining a competitive advantage. Logically that is.

  • LakeShow

    okay

  • Joe

    They should make a training video

  • underdog

    Keep your friends close, and your enemies closer.

  • Slick Ric

    I cant respect KD for this, I’m sorry. You cant workout with a guy you just lost in the finals to. You already had to endure working with him with the olympics; I would be hating this guy right now. Anybody saying questioning Kd’s fire is wrong is looking quite foolish if you ask me.

  • K-SWIZZ

    FREAK THAT, YOU DONT SEE KOBE BRYANT WORKING OUT WITH OTHER PLAYERS. DO YOU REALLY THINK THEYRE JUST TRAINING, THEYRE PLAYING BASKETBALL AGAINST EACH OTHER WITH FRIENDS. I KNOW LEBRONS CLOWNING KD BEHIND HIS BACK SAYING THIS KID IS STRUGGLING TO BENCH 95 POUNDS IM GONNA EAT HIM UP ALL DAY ON THE POST!!!! ALSO HES THINKING ALL YOU GOTTA DO IS TAKE IT TO KD’S 120 POUND FRAME EITHER HES GONNA FOUL YOU, OR YOUR GONNA SCORE. THATS THE ADVANTAGE YOU GET WHEN YOU TRAIN WITH SOMEBODY!!!!

  • roscoe

    KD fails in the finals to Bron bron & then spends time with him outside of the Olympics.
    KD just took my SOFT award away from Deron Williams.
    Unreal.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    This is not the WWE. Competitors don’t have to act like they hate each other. I think fans get way too caught up in making up their own narratives, because it makes the on-court action more dramatic for them. Which is fine, but… reality is reality. Friends can still be rivals.

  • bike

    Everyone wants to believe these guys hate each other’s guts and would eat each other’s children but truth is, they enjoy spending time in the shower together.

  • Fat Lever

    To be fair, Chalmers is a top 10 pg in the L.

  • roscoe

    @Slick Ric: no doubt… KD is a nice guy or as I like to say SOFT. I mean, who hugs their whole family after each game? KD = SOFT mama’s boy.

  • roscoe

    Friends are never rivals. One is the alpha dog. Unreal logic, but considering your WWE reference explains it.

  • roscoe

    You should work in foreign policy… I completely disagree. Respecting your competitor is different than carrying his back pack and lunch after he beat you in the finals.
    What say you?

  • http://www.facebook.com/zer02hero15 James Franco Guerta

    Kevin Durant: I will take my talents to South Beach

  • MUBWAR

    they’re absolutely is no problem with this. KD needs to bulk up and learn how to pass better. lbj needs to work on his outside shot. i’m lovin this. the next few years will be epic between these 2 guys

  • Charliewinning

    Nah. Kobe doesn’t work out with his rivals. He only recruits them to come play with him on the Lakers smh. Oh but wait, off season workouts are different.

  • The Seed

    I cannot believe KD is being sucked in again, into being a friend with the dude that took his cookie, then all summer thru the cookies in his face about how he is better now. KD seems like a momma’s boy who has no fire to be a MAN. I give Lebron credit, he is punking that skinny kid, into thinking his game will get better working out with him. Zeke, Magic, Larry, MJ, Kobe, AI, KG and plenty of others are not working out with enemies, especially ones who BEAT THEM in the NBA FInals. KD no fire Durant needs to MAN UP or THUNDERSTICK it OUT!!!

  • roscoe

    Oh wait… getting run in the finals & then carrying Bron bron’s lunch and back pack is the same… oh wait.

  • roscoe

    Image is everything & KD is SOFT.

  • roscoe

    I do believe that carrying the man’s back pack & lunch after he beat you in the finals is what it is, SOFT.

  • roscoe

    & Chalmers would not be practicing w/ Harden… He is not SOFT like KD

  • roscoe

    Bron bron in the finals 1-2. KD in the finals 0-1. who is a killer? MJ 6-0 in the finals.

  • roscoe

    they should bake cookies and sell them on HSN

  • roscoe

    Allen they are friends & the problem is they are suppose to be competitors.

  • roscoe

    they should bake cookies & sell them

  • roscoe

    maybe… but KD: I will carry Bron bron’s back pack & make his lunch so next time he does not beat me badly in the finals.

  • Drig

    Friends are never rivals?? That’s BS.

  • Chalriewinning

    Yup. That’s exactly what happened. Durant got “ruin” in the Finals and now he’s carrying Lebron’s lunch and back pack. It’s not like he worked out with him last summer too. He’s not getting better workng out against the best player in the league. He should just join the Heat so slam commenters won’t think he’s soft.

  • Hooper

    How is KD doing anything wrong from Lebron and vice-versa .? You want to be great you study the greats. You nitpick from their arsenal and add to yourself. Best example, NBA players utilizing the crossover and creating their own variation back when “Pearl” used it and Tim Hardaway and Iverson, etc. You see Kobe, one of the greatest scorers and arguably one of the best players ever in the NBA, and still being debated at his position .
    My point is, if you’re the two best players in the world, why not train and take something from one another or to push each other to be better .? They know in the long run that it’ll make them better, and if thats the only motivation they need to play at the level they’ve been playing at for several years, then so be it.

  • Hooper

    And, please tell me if I’m wrong when I say basketball doesn’t completely extend to their personal lives. They are two friends that because they play ball and played in the Finals, that you think it is a problem for them to interact.?
    Its for one week at that .! SMH . They are getting started early . Training camp is in a little under two weeks, so this is more conditioning and getting shots up.

  • Hooper

    Thank you. They are friends getting a headstart on conditioning for their teams .! two great players working out, preparing for the rigors of an 82 game season. And training each other will only make them work that much harder when season comes.!
    The thing I don’t get is, how can KD not respect Lebron after he lost to him, and was an Olympic teammate of him. Lebron respects KD and as a competitor I think this only will give them a mental edge

  • Hooper

    Alright, first off know something before you speak. lol. they did this last year fool. the damn headline says they are training together again. smh. I won’t even argue with ya’.! Two, its not just about them getting better, its sharpening their skills, getting their mind right, and physically for the training camp.

  • Hooper

    Kobe don’t even work out with his team consistently. lmaao don’t use Kobe as an example. he works by himself anyway. Magic johnson use to run the breakfast club for the dedicated, players which included Reggie Miller just to name one. sooo, its not unheard of.
    And, Artest was a rival of Kobe’s. Matt Barners had some beef with him with ORL. And, they both joined him right .? You can’t beat em’ join em’ .! He recruited those two.
    You must not watch basketball either cuz’ Kobe was open and wanted Nash with LA EVEN after the Suns eliminated LA for a few consecutive seasons. now he’s happy he’s on the team.
    ya’ll looking too deep into it. what are you going to say if KD and OKC win .? SMH . just leave it alone .
    Or, have some type of argument . smh

  • Hooper

    Thank you. As fans you love this. You want to see them take their game to another level. Working together would do so . I saw someone post Kobe doesn’t do this. But Kobe’s ego is too big for that . lol .
    Someone said it perfectly too.
    “Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.”

  • Hooper

    Finally someone understands. lol. for real hell week is conditioning more than anything. They’ve been in the league competing for YEARS now. They’ve been the best at the position for a good three years, maybe four or five. Their teams scout how to guard them every matchup. They played in the Finals, and the Olympics. They know more than you guys think as players.
    They are friends preparing for season tht’s all. No harm in that. If KD and Lebron played in a season game there would be no friendliness.

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