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Stephen A. Smith hits back at Kevin Durant over 'ridiculous' LeBron James comparison
Stephen A. Smith hits back at Kevin Durant over 'ridiculous' LeBron James comparison originally appeared on The Sporting News .
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Kevin Durant just told the hoops world that his old Golden State Warriors team was not as loaded as the new-look Philadelphia 76ers . NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith isn't buying his claim about the Sixers, and he fired back on national TV.
All of the drama started after LeBron James signed with the 76ers this offseason, joining a powerhouse roster that already featured Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey, following the earlier addition of Jaylen Brown.
That gave Philly three elite players who each averaged over 25 points last season. It also brought in James, who consistently averaged around 25 points during his last few years with the Los Angeles Lakers , except for a slight statistical dip this past season.
So, KD said , “The last time they put three 20-point scorers on a team, they said it was unfair, which was the team I was on. They got four 25-point scorers on this team. So. yeah, they’re contenders. It’ll be a great team to watch.”
Smith wasn't having it on "First Take." He called the comparison ridiculous, saying , “Warriors were clear-cut favorites by a mile to win the championship. We don't even know if the Philadelphia 76ers are going to come out of the East."
"[The Golden State Warriors] were clear-cut favorites by a mile to win the championship. We don't even know if the Philadelphia 76ers are going to come out of the East." @stephenasmith weighs in on Kevin Durant comparing LeBron's move to the 76ers to his Warriors tenure 👀 pic.twitter.com/eBB0dkDeuQ
— First Take (@FirstTake) August 3, 2026 He went further, referring to how one-sided the league felt once Durant put on a Warriors jersey. "There was no competition," Smith said. "We all knew it was a foregone conclusion that Kevin Durant, with the greatest shooting backcourt and the basketball savant that was Draymond Green, it was inevitable."
However, the stats back Smith more than the Houston Rockets forward. Just to recap, those Warriors were already a historic 73-win powerhouse, and they had just knocked Durant’s former Oklahoma City Thunder squad out of the playoffs right before he joined them.
Meanwhile, Philly hasn't advanced past the second round since the 2000-01 season and oddsmakers book them as the East's fourth choice behind the New York Knicks this preseason.
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Kevin Durant-Russell Westbrook Rockets reunion gets surprising endorsement
Aaron Rodgers hands Stephen A. Smith rare 'flowers' after stunning Kyrie Irving walk-back
SmithKevin DurantLeBron JamesWarriorsJoel EmbiidThe Sporting NewsAdd The Sporting NewsPreferred SourceGolden State WarriorsPhiladelphiaSixersAll
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