Former NBA player Richard Jefferson had the great fortune of playing with LeBron James when they were both members of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
When discussing the possibility of a “subway series” between the New York Knicks and Brooklyn Nets in this year’s NBA Playoffs, Jefferson said that despite having James on his team, he didn’t want to play against Kevin Durant.
It was all fun and games playing "Can I have a word" with @RJeff24 and @Matt_Barnes22…until we got into the topic of Knicks fans getting into Kevin Durant's DM's. Matt says NY fans should talk their talk…just not to KD. Richard says Knicks fans should talk to him instead 😂 pic.twitter.com/88xf2mgM0V
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) April 24, 2021
“I had LeBron James on my team and I didn’t want to see Kevin Durant,” said Jefferson.
Before Jefferson was a Cav, he started his career with the Nets, back when they were based just across the Hudson River in New Jersey.
His comment speaks to how hard it is to win an NBA championship, no matter how much talent a team possesses.
The Knicks have had a long-awaited resurgence this season, as big man Julius Randle has ascended to All-Star status and head coach Tom Thibodeau has built a culture based on defense.
However, the Knicks simply lack the star power that the Nets and a few other teams boast.
Brooklyn acquired Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant nearly two years ago, then stunned the league by trading for former MVP James Harden earlier this season.
The stick in the mud for the Nets has been injuries, as they have had very few games with all three superstars in the lineup.
