Golden State Warriors: Can Kevin Durant finally conquer King James?

After playing for second place for the majority of his career, is Kevin Durant finally ready to conquer King James on the biggest stage?

Ten months ago, Kevin Durant’s ringless finger obsessed him enough to ditch the fans of Oklahoma City, who treated him like a son, and end his eight-year marriage with Russell Westbrook to pony hop to the Golden State Warriors and join Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

The bargain paid off as the Warriors, after perfectly disposing of the Western Conference playoff field, look to avenge an embarrassing NBA Finals loss against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

There’s just one big problem, though. LeBron James, who stands as the final obstacle en route to reclaiming an NBA Championship for the Warriors, just happens to be Kevin Durant’s kryptonite.

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These two have history, and these two have been widely recognized as the two best players in the world for years.

And all eyes will be on Durant, knowing that LeBron has an 18-5 head-to-head record (including the 2012 NBA Finals) against him.

Question is, can Durant finally put his LeBron demons to rest once and for all?

Kevin Durant has already fallen short against LeBron on the biggest stage, when the Miami Heat prevailed in five games over the OKC Thunder in the NBA Finals. Though, it should be noted, Durant was just 24 years old at the time.

Even though his whopping 30.6 points per game on 55 percent shooting from the field wasn’t enough to deter LeBron and his Super Friends from getting their first ring together in Miami, it was one of the best Finals performances in a losing effort.

Still, at that moment, LeBron was too much for Durant. It wasn’t his time. There was no bashing Durant, either. It wasn’t warranted. His time would indeed come, you’d think.

However, five years later, the narrative has changed.

In his 10th NBA season, the pressure is now on Durant. And if he falls short again, on THIS Warriors team, the scrutiny could reach LeBron-levels.

But he prepared for this very moment.

When he hit free agency last summer, he specifically stayed out West because he wanted to avoid LeBron as long as possible, according to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith. Which is why picking between the Warriors and the up-and-coming Boston Celtics was quite an easy decision.

Kevin Durant saw Golden State as not only the best option to exorcise his LeBron demon, but to also win rings – multiple.

So far, so good.

The Warriors sailed through the regular season, clobbering opponents, en route to 67 wins. Even though it took some figuring out, Durant found his role alongside two-time NBA MVP Stephen Curry. Together, along with sharpshooting Klay Thompson and do-everything Draymond Green, the Warriors blossomed into one of the most deadliest offenses ever seen in the NBA.

The playoffs were not much different, as the Warriors steamrolled their way through the West behind Durant’s 25 points per game on 54 percent shooting from the field. As a team, the Warriors are averaging 118 points per contest in the postseason.

LeBron, on the other hand, is playing arguably the best basketball of his career. LeBron has averaged 33 points per game on 57 percent shooting from the field and 42 percent from three-point range in the playoffs. And, just last week, he surpassed Michael Jordan as the NBA’s All-Time postseason leading scorer (5,995).

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Now, the immovable object meets the unstoppable force on the NBA’s biggest stage.

Can Kevin Durant overcome his “kryptonite” and bring the Bay what LeBron James stole last year? Or will Durant’s highly favored Warriors fall beneath the pressure?

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