Kevin Durant joining Steph Curry would be something we haven't seen since 1982!

It looks like Kevin Durant is seriously considering joining forces with the reining two-time MVP Stephen Curry. 

The last MVP before Curry? Mr. Durant himself... 

That got me wondering... When was the last time, if ever, that two MVPs joined forces in the middle of their careers? 

I had to go back a bit...

The first thing I found was Karl Malone joining Shaquille O'Neal. However, Karl was well past his prime when he joined the Lakers. Being 40 years old and it ended up being his last season in the NBA.

Next thing I found was David Robinson and Tim Duncan. Robinson won an MVP in 1995 and retired in 2003. The Spurs drafted Tim Duncan in 1997 who ended up winning an MVP in 2002. So technically it was two MVP players played together. But not quite what I was looking for. It is not the same as two MVP players joining forces in the middle of their careers.

Next one I found was Charles Barkley at age 33 joining Hakeem Olajuwon at age 34. Barkley played his last 4 seasons there in Houston. This is close to the same, but  33 and 34 isn't quite the same as 27 year old Durant joining 28 year old Curry. Plus, Charles and Hakeem only had 2 MVPs between them. Curry and Durant will have had 3 (Curry with two and Durant with one).

Further down the NBA timeline I found Kareem Abdul-Jabber and Magic Johnson. However, much like the Robinson/Duncan scenario, Kareem was 39 going on 40 when Magic won his first MVP award.

Then I found it. The Perfect match. Moses Malone was 27 years old just like Durant when he joined a 31 year old "Dr. J" Julius Erving. Moses was a two time (and reigning) MVP just like Curry is and Dr. J was the last one to win an MVP before Moses just like Durant before Curry. The similarities are astonishing! 

The 76ers had just lost in the finals the year before to Magic Johnson's and Kareem's Showtime Lakers. 

What happened the year the 27 year-old reining MVP joined the 31 year-old Dr. J? It became what is now know as the legendary 1982-1983 76ers. Both Moses and Julius made all-NBA first team. Moses won the MVP (his 3rd) and the finals MVP. Moses was asked before the playoffs his prediction and he gave the famous response "Fo, fo, fo" (meaning all sweeps). Well... They did sweep the first round, won the next round in five games, and then swept the Lakers in the finals. So "Fo, five, fo" (which ended up being engraved into their championship rings).

The 76ers avenged themselves that year in the finals after they had lost to to the Lakers the year before. Just like the 76ers, the Warriors would most likely have a chance to avenge themselves against LeBron James and the Cavs.

If KD were to join the Warriors, I could see the same thing happening that happened over 30 years ago: Curry and Durant both making all-NBA first team, one of them winning MVP and finals MVP, and the Warriors avenging their loss to the Cavs in the finals.

LeBron James 2016 Free Agent: Where is he going to go?

When I began to wonder about if LeBron James was going to leave Cleveland this year, I originally thought he was staying... out of loyalty and love for the city and what-not. Then, I went back and read his letter he wrote to Sports Illustrated:

"My goal is to win as many titles as possible, no questions. But what's most important for me is bringing ONE trophy back to Northeast Ohio."

So.... Now LeBron has brought one trophy back to Northeast Ohio. Mission accomplished!! ✓

Unless the King changed his mind or was lying, his only goal now is to win as many titles as possible. LeBron James will have no problem leaving Cleveland right here and right now if it means winning more titles somewhere else.


Where might he go then? Perhaps our two best clues are:

1. "My goal is to win as many titles as possible, no questions."
2.  And we know LeBron absolutely cherishes his bond with "The Brotherhood" of Carmelo Anthony, Chris Paul, and Dwyane Wade. He has said he would take a pay cut to play with them. Although getting all four on the same team next off season is unrealistic, getting two together is a good start...

Miami Heat

Going back to Miami would be simple and easy. He already refers to Miami as his "second home." He is comfortable there. It has warm weather. His BFF Dwyane Wade is there. He trusts Pat Riley. And this Heat team is better than the one he left two years ago. Since he's been gone, they have acquired Hassan Whiteside, Luol Deng, Joe Johnson, Goran Dragic and Justise Winslow. The year he left Miami, they missed the playoffs. This year, however, they got the 3rd seed and won a playoff series. Perhaps LeBron believes Miami is now his best chance to "win as many titles as possible."

Los Angeles Lakers

Just the name "Lakers" makes big time free agents want to play there. Now that Kobe Bryant is (finally) out of the picture, they are even more attractive than they have been since LeBron started become a free agent. They have plenty of money to spend. It is another warm weather place and has a very desirable market. The Lakers have quite the history of signing big name free agents. And we know LeBron is not afraid to do something huge and unexpected (see: "The Decision"). The Lakers could lure LeBron in by also having other big free agents come too and/or bringing in players via trade like (cough cough) Chris Paul or Carmelo Anthony. I definitely don't put it past LeBron or the Lakers to make a huge splash in free agency.

Los Angeles Clippers

Just like the Lakers, the Clippers offer warm temperatures and the desirable L.A. market. Chris Paul is already there. DeAndre Jordan would complement LeBron beautifully. DeAndre is defensive specialist, a great rim protector and rebounder, and he is quite talented at throwing down ally-oops. Think Tristan Thompson but a lot better. And bonus: Doc Rivers would be the best coach LeBron ever played for... and Doc is no stranger to superstars joining forces and winning championships (see Boston Celtics 2008-2012)

New York Knicks

This one is a long shot, but I am not ruling it out. Talent wise, the Knicks are not as good as the Clippers and Heat already are or as good as the Lakers could potentially be. However, there is still a lure here. Playing in Madison Square Garden. Playing for the great Phil Jackson. New York market is great. Playing with BFF Carmelo Anthony. And, were LeBron James to bring a championship to New York, it would be almost as good as bringing a championship to Cleveland. New York hasn't won a basketball title since 1973, and the fans are very hungry for one.

Cleveland Cavaliers

Honestly, staying in Cleveland is the most likely destination. Kyrie Irving (24 years old) is starting to get really good. Tristan Thompson (also 24) is getting better and better too. Staying home with the team he built makes sense. He's only been back for two seasons now. I think he'll want to stay at least one more season or two to see how much potential this Cavs team has.

Wait... When was Kobe the best player in the NBA?

I was looking back at an NBA poster made in 2004 and I noticed a certain player missing; Mr. Kobe Bean Byant.

This poster had Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, and Paul Peirce. But no Kobe.

Soon after, I found another old poster: It was the '04 Lakers. Shaquille O’Neal was in the front of a “V formation.” Behind him was Kobe Bryant and Karl Malone. Derek Fisher and Gary Payton were behind them. Devean George and Rick Fox in the back.

Then I remembered: Shaq was always the best player on the Lakers. Kobe was great no doubt. But Shaq was the "Batman." And if you're not the best player on your own team, you're surely not the best player in the NBA.

So I started to do some more remembering. "When... if ever... was Kobe the best player in the league?"

I as able to break it down into 6 sections of his career:

1996-2004

Up until 2004 Kobe was not the best player on his own team. During his seasons playing with Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe never once came close to winning an MVP award. Shaq won the only MVP between them during these years and received plenty of votes for other MVP awards. Shaq also won all three finals MVPs during their three championships.

And besides Shaq, there were also other players on other teams better than Kobe. Just looking at the people who won MVP’s between 2000-2004; Shaq, Allen Iverson, Tim Duncan (twice), and Kevin Garnett. Also a look at who won the scoring title those years: Shaq, Iverson (twice), and Tracy McGrady (twice).

Kobe surely was not the best player in the NBA during these years.

2005

This was Kobe’s first year without Shaquille O’Neal, and he missed the playoffs completely. I’m not saying you have to win the finals with a bad team if you’re the best player in the league… but can’t you at least carry a team to a 7^th or 8^th seed playoff berth if you're the best? Meanwhile in 2005, Shaq was tearing it up in Miami, Iverson won his 4^th scoring title, and Tim Duncan was winning another championships and another finals MVP. 

Kobe had still not taken over as the “best player in the NBA” in this year.

2006-2007

These are the two years Kobe won his two scoring titles. These are also the two years Kobe’s Lakers got knocked out of the first round by Mike D’Antoni’s Phoenix Suns. 

Shaq, still in Miami, won himself another championship in 2006. The young phenom LeBron James (drafted in 2003) was getting better every year. Steve Nash won the MVP. In 2007, young LeBron James carried a bad Cavs team all the way to the NBA finals. Also in 2007, Tim Duncan won another championship. Dirk Nowitzki won the MVP.

These two years could go either way as to who was the best player in the NBA. Had Kobe past players like Shaq and Duncan? Had LeBron already passed Kobe?

2008

Kobe wins his first and only MVP award. LeBron wins the scoring title. The Lakers trade for Pau Gasol and make their first playoff run since trading Shaq to Miami. 

Unfortunately for both Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen joined Paul Pierce's Celtics to form "The Big 3" in Boston. The Celtics beat LeBron James’ Cavs in the playoffs in an epic 7 game series. LeBron James, in the game 7 losing effort, had 45 points, 5 rebounds and 6 assists. Then Boston went on to beat Kobe’s Lakers in the finals and it only took them 6 games. Kobe, in the game 6 losing effort, had 22 points, 3 rebounds, and 1 assist.

It's starting to look like LeBron James has become the best basketball player in the NBA.

2009-2010

Kobe goes on to win his 2 “Shaq-less” rings and both Final's MVP awards. But LeBron wins both (his first two of four) of the season MVP awards while having some very impressive stats, including averaging 29.1 PPG, 7.5 RPG, and 8.1 APG over those two years.

Again, it could go either way to who was the best player in the NBA. Was it Kobe? Or was it LeBron and was Kobe simply the best player on the best team ?

2011-retirement 

Steadily declining and with injuries from time to time, Kobe never made it back to the finals. In fact, he never made it back to the Western Conference finals. Never won another scoring title or another MVP. He retired 2016.

LeBron got better and better, won two more MVPs, did some incredible things and broke a lot of records. He played all 6 finals since and won two (maybe three on Sunday) championships.

LeBron was undoubtedly the better player in the NBA from 2011 on.

Conclusion

Kobe Bryant was, at very best, the best basketball player in the NBA from 2006-2010. And at worse, he was never the best player in the NBA for even a season. Players like Shaq and Duncan were quite possibly the best players in the NBA until about 2006/2007 and then LeBron became the best basketball playing in the NBA at that time.

And perhaps, and usually is the case, its somewhere in between the best and worse case scenario. Either way, most of us remember Kobe Bryant being a lot better than he really was. Why? Who knows? Perhaps it’s because he played for the LA Lakers (the "Yankees of the NBA") his entire career. Perhaps it’s because some of his moves reminded us of our favorite player Michael Jordan. 

Whatever it is, as we look back, we can see not only was Kobe not the best player of all time, but he was perhaps never the best player in the NBA for any particular season.

*Edit: My sports friend Andy (who is quite knowledgeable about sports himself) made a few comments when I first started digging into this. I feel his comments bring a lot to the table so here they are:

*Update*
3 days after I wrote this blog, The Herd came out with this video (LINK)
Colin Cowherd: "You could make an argument that Kobe was never the best player in the league."
Nick Wright: (paraphrase) Shaq was the best player in the leauge until at least '04. LeBron has been the best player in the league since '07. So, at best, Tim Duncan and Kobe Bryant split 05 and 06 as best players in the league.

(click the link for the exact quotes. 1 min 19 sec video)