LeBron James’ career has never been short on controversy when it comes to changing teams. In 2010, ‘The Decision’ brought about one of the most controversial moments in NBA history as he left Cleveland for the Miami Heat. Six years later, Kevin Durant experienced similar backlash after he left the OKC Thunder for the Golden State Warriors. James’ decision to play with the Philadelphia 76ers after eight seasons with the LA Lakers has led to more scrutiny, with Durant defending his longtime rival against fans questioning the move.

“LeBron to the 76ers for $4 million a year is such a slap to the face to Lakers fans,” a fan on Threads criticized James’ decision. To this, Durant from his verified account came to fire back.

“Your face will heal at some point,” the two-time NBA champion wrote on Threads.

James’ move to Philadelphia has been one of the biggest stories of the offseason. The four-time NBA champion agreed to a two-year, $8 million contract with a player option after the first season, passing on significantly more lucrative offers elsewhere to pursue another championship alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown.

For nearly a month, speculation linked him to the Miami Heat, Philadelphia, Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves, while there were questions about whether he would simply re-sign with the Lakers or retire. LeBron’s longtime agent, Rich Paul, on the Game Over podcast emphasized that there was no timetable on his decision, calling it “personal.”

Paul also pushed back against the idea that LeBron James was delaying his decision for attention. Instead, every interested team had already presented its case, and LeBron simply wanted time to evaluate the ‘basketball’ situation.

In his announcement, James explained that the decision was driven purely by basketball, saying: “This is my last decision. He emphasized that the move was “not about money” or family considerations but about his desire to continue competing for championships.

That being said, Kevin Durant knows better than most what it feels like to be criticised for changing teams.

When he left the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors back in 2016, the backlash was immediate. The move came just weeks after the Warriors had erased a 3-1 deficit to eliminate the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals, leading many to accuse Durant of simply taking an easy way out by going to a 73-win team instead of trying to beat them. 

Thunder fans felt betrayed, and even after winning two NBA championships and two Finals MVPs in Golden State, the questions about his legacy never really disappeared. Given he has lived through the same reality that LeBron is facing, he was quick to defend him.