Suns’ Kevin Durant reveals why he chose LeBron James over other legends, the Lakers to win the league..
The answer as to why Suns star Kevin Durant backs LeBron James and the Lakers to win the NBA In-Season Tournament is simple.
Anything can happen in a one-game playoff, but Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant is backing LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers to go all the way and become the champion of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.
The Lakers have taken the competition very seriously, with James bringing a high level of intensity in their four tournament games to this point, but the answer as to why Durant backs them to win it all is simple.
After the Suns’ 106-103 defeat to the Lakers that sees their tournament run come to an end in the quarterfinals, Durant, point-blank, said that James and company are now favorites to take home the NBA Cup because they beat the Suns.
“I’m going to go with the Lakers because they beat us,” Durant told reporters in the locker room after the Suns’ loss, per Ben Golliver of the Washington Post, via ClutchPoints Twitter.
“I’m going to go with the Lakers because they beat us…It’s set up for them to win.”
Kevin Durant's pick on who will win the inaugural In-Season Tournament in Las Vegas.
(via @BenGolliver)pic.twitter.com/8pKdsSMgP3
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) December 6, 2023
Kevin Durant, being the true hooper that he is, expounded on his answer.
Besides defeating the Suns, the Lakers’ overwhelming brand of physicality, which comes in the form of dominating the offensive glass, getting to the rim and drawing fouls, and forcing turnovers, makes them quite the tough team to stop especially when LeBron James is at the top of his game.
Moreover, the game being on neutral grounds in Las Vegas (and being geographically the closest team to the Sin City) also gives the Lakers a huge advantage.
“They got the size to compete with anybody. They got the quickest flight out of anybody [to Las Vegas]. Most fans out of anybody. It’s set up for them to win,” Durant added.
The New Orleans Pelicans, however, won’t be an easy matchup at all for the Lakers, as this team has the athleticism at all positions to match the Purple and Gold’s suffocating intensity on both ends of the floor.
Moreover, the Pelicans have the advantage when it comes to outside shooting, especially with the returns of CJ McCollum and Trey Murphy.
But in the end, the Lakers should have the best player on the floor in LeBron James during that semifinals matchup, which counts for a lot in a single-elimination game.
