Kevin Durant lit the NBA world on fire with an Instagram comment arguing the new-look Philadelphia 76ers are “more talented on paper” than the Golden State Warriors squad he joined back in 2016. That spicy take immediately caught the attention of his former Golden State teammates, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and you know they weren’t staying quiet about it.
LeBron and the Sixers: The NBA’s New Superteam
LeBron James making the decision to join the Philadelphia 76ers this offseason instantly created one of the newest superteams in the league. Now, with James alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown, Philly boasts one of the most star-studded lineups out there. Naturally, when a high-profile group like this forms, everyone immediately starts comparing them to that legendary 2016 Golden State team. Remember, that was the squad featuring Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala, all in their prime Warrior years. That team was so stacked, it felt like Kevin Durant “broke the NBA” just by showing up. So when Durant himself took to Instagram, the conversation about James’ new-look 76ers being “more talented on paper” than the Warriors team he joined went absolutely viral, attracting a ton of attention from his former Golden State teammates.
Klay and Draymond Aren’t Holding Back
But KD didn’t just let the fans do the comparing; he brought the heat himself to Instagram. He didn’t just stop at the 2016 squad either; he doubled down, arguing the current 76ers roster is even “more dominant on paper” than the 2017-18 Warriors. That’s when his former teammates stepped up. Klay Thompson wasn’t having any of it, strongly objecting to being used in that comparison. The Bleacher Report even tweeted that Klay was responding to KD saying he was “never an MVP candidate in nothing,” which had to sting a bit, right? Draymond Green, never one to hold back, reacted to KD’s comments saying, “You have to understand the way KD view basketball, the way KD view basketball is very Uncle Drew-ish, this game will and always will be about buckets… so he’s going to mention the 25-point scorers.” It looks like the exchange appeared to be all in good fun, but you know there’s some real talk behind those words.
This whole back-and-forth is just another reminder of the incredible legacy of that Golden State dynasty. Even nearly a decade later, those Durant-era Warriors are still the ultimate benchmark for every NBA superteam. Any comparison to that historic roster is pretty much guaranteed to spark a huge debate. The 76ers are looking dangerous, but those old Warriors legends are clearly ready to defend their legacy, even if it’s just on social media.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Golden State of Mind.
Leave a Reply