LADERA RANCH, Calif. — Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant said Saturday that LeBron James and the reshaped Philadelphia 76ers have enough scoring punch to make a serious run at the 2027 NBA championship.
Durant went a step further, drawing a comparison to his title-winning Golden State Warriors teams with Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson as he assessed the offensive potential of a Philadelphia lineup featuring James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey.
“The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the [Warriors] team I was on,” Durant said at a USA Basketball event Saturday. “[The 76ers] have got four 25-point scorers on this team. So, hell yeah, I think they’re going to be a contender. They’re going to be a fun team to watch. It’s going to be League Pass-worthy.”
Brown, Embiid and Maxey each averaged at least 25 points per game last season. James, now 41, has reached that 25-point scoring mark in 20 of his 23 NBA seasons, most recently with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2023-24.
James announced July 24 that he would sign with the 76ers, choosing Philadelphia over the Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat after more than three weeks of deliberation in free agency. Durant, 37, said he had no inside information before the decision became public, but he believes the surge of attention around the 76ers will be good for the NBA.
“I didn’t know at all,” Durant said. “LeBron is stealth like that. I know there’s a lot of noise around him, but you never know what’s on his mind. I’m happy for him. It’s a great decision for him to go to a team that has a good chance to win. Philly is a great fanbase, a great market, and it’s great for the league. There were so many eyes that were tuned in to his decision.”
The 76ers’ blockbuster offseason, which included acquiring Brown from the Boston Celtics in a trade and signing James to a two-year, $8 million contract, has pushed Philadelphia near the top of the NBA title odds. Oddsmakers now list the team among the leading championship contenders, behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.
Philadelphia is chasing its first NBA championship since 1983. James, meanwhile, is pursuing a milestone no player has ever reached: winning titles with four different franchises.
Durant, who spoke at a USA Basketball Foundation charity event in Southern California, also said he wants to compete in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. The 2014 NBA MVP, who would be 39 years old during the upcoming competition, could become the first men’s basketball player to win five Olympic gold medals if the Americans can win the men’s tournament for the sixth straight time.
Durant and James won gold medals as teammates in the 2012 London and 2024 Paris Olympics.
“It’s really on [USA Basketball managing director] Grant Hill and what Team USA wants to do,” Durant said. “I stay on top of my game and hopefully I get that call, but there’s so many great players who deserve to be on the team.”
