“I felt like he was passing the torch to me” – The moment when Kevin Durant felt he was finally on the same level as LeBron James originally appeared on Basketball Network.

NBA superstar Kevin Durant has a plethora of iconic highlights in his storied career, but nothing stands out more than the three-point dagger he hit over LeBron James in Game 3 of the 2017 NBA Finals, which pivoted the series in favor of the Golden State Warriors. For KD, that shot depicted the beginning of when he finally felt he was on the same level as James, whom Durant had looked up to for most of his life.

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“That was the best moment I ever had,” Durant told GQ in 2017. “I made the game-winning shot in the finals against my fucking idol. Somebody that I really, really, really followed since I was a ninth-grade high schooler. I felt like he was passing the torch to me.”

James paved the way for KD

Durant admitted in the same interview that he’s followed James’ path for most of his career. In fact, the two-time champion acknowledged that it was The King who taught him the importance of player empowerment, such as instilling player options in between contract years and utilizing one’s leverage to put pressure on the front office to not waste a superstar’s prime years.

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Following James’ blueprint had always been Durant’s goal until the latter felt that it was time to take his chain as the best player in the world during the NBA Finals. The Slim Reaper thought he achieved that after going toe-to-toe with him in the five-game series in 2017.

“He’s four years older than me, so he’s still the big homie. But I’m on the same level as a basketball player. Off the court, I can learn a thing from you. But as a basketball player, I feel like it’s 1A, 1B. And that’s an accomplishment for me,” added Durant.

In the 2017 NBA Finals, KD won the finals MVP by averaging 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists on 47.5% three-point shooting. It was also the 15-time All-Star’s first championship, which happened in his first season with the Warriors. Durant followed it up with another title and finals MVP the following year, which made him one of the four players to ever do so in NBA history alongside James, Kobe Bryant, and Hakeem Olajuwon.

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Mutual respect for each other

Since Durant went toe-to-toe with James and defeated him for two consecutive championships, he felt that he didn’t just gain more respect from his idol but also grew closer to him. Despite being four years apart, James and Durant share a bond that now goes outside of the basketball court. For the latter, it means a lot to have a more experienced colleague he can relate to, have deep conversations with, and even bounce ideas off of. Durant said it has helped him become both a better basketball player and human.

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Now, KD and LeBron are viewed as two of the best superstars of this generation, and without each other, they probably wouldn’t be the same players. Their relationship is the perfect example of what happens when iron sharpens iron.

Related: Kevin Durant shared why LeBron James going back to Cleveland was classy – “It’s funny seeing guys think about more than just basketball for once”

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Aug 9, 2025, where it first appeared.