Once viewed as possibly the last time we see LeBron James versus Kevin Durant in the NBA playoffs, the Los Angeles Lakers versus Houston Rockets series is in serious jeopardy of not being what it previously looked like when the matchups were set last Sunday.
At that time it was pretty set in stone that the Lakers would likely be without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves as they both recover from late-season injuries. But things took quite a turn on Friday when Rockets superstar and two-time NBA champion showed up on the team’s injury report with a knee contusion. That injury caused the former four-time scoring champion to miss Game 1, a Rockets loss, and let’s just say fans are coming up with every conspiracy theory known to man.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver At The Forefront Of These Theories
Soon after the Rockets announced Durant being out for Game 1, a fan, @HarrietEve9, took to X to somehow say Silver is doing all he can to help James not get the broom.
“Adam Silver is trying to make sure that LeBron James doesn’t get swept in the first round of the NBA playoffs…Kevin Durant is out with a knee injury tonight, huh,” the fan said.
This quote was captioned with a report that the aforementioned Dončić who’s been out with a pretty significant hamstring injury could return mid-series after going overseas to receive treatment in an effort to expedite his return to the court. So, because of that this particular fan believes the league’s commissioner is doing all he can to prolong the series.
Pretty wild assessment when Rockets head coach Ime Udoka spoke on his superstar player’s injury himself telling the media this.
““Pain tolerance is one thing, but limited movement is more of the cause.”
Most Fans Aren’t In Agreement With This Theory
It didn’t take long for fans to offer plenty of opinions on the theory, and most met it with a pure rebuttal.
“How the hell Adam Silver get blamed for this,” a fan said.
“KD is ducking this smoke. LeBron was never gonna get swept,” a fan said.
“So Adam Silver paid off the player who ran into KD’s knee at practice?,” another fan said.
“Damn sis I’m usually on your side for most subject but I don’t get the brim hate u been spewing lately. Black man black family never cheated the game what more u want?” a fan mentioned.
“If that was the case he could still play and just throw the game,” a fan quipped.
“Doesn’t matter neither team is beating OKC and I’m a lakers fan,” a fan said.
“You was praying he got swept now you making excuses,” another fan replied.
What’s At Stake For Bron And KD?
While LeBron holds the overall edge of 21-11 in matchups, Durant has gotten the better of the matchup in the postseason. James and the Miami Heat defeated the Durant and the OKC Thunder 4-1 in the 2012 NBA Finals giving James the first of his four NBA titles.
Durant returned the favor five years later as a member of the Golden State Warriors defeating James and his Cavaliers team 4-1 in the 2017 NBA Finals. The following year Durant and the Warriors swept James and the Cavaliers 4-0 to go back-to-back in the NBA Finals.
So, as the 41-year-old and 37-year-old wind down their illustrious careers, this one is for some final bragging rights because the possibility of facing off again is slim to none. And, let’s face it, neither team is beating the defending champion OKC Thunder in the next round anyway.
