One of the favorite things to do amongst fans is to compare stars and teams from different eras. Whether it is debating which team or players would prevail in a fictional match-up or picturing stars playing on different teams, it is always fun to imagine what could’ve been.
One player who would undoubtedly fit into any era is Golden State Warriors star Kevin Durant. The seven-footer with guard skills and one of the best jumpers the league has ever seen would be a legend regardless of the time or team he played on.
Durant recently appeared on The Bill Simmons podcast where he took fan questions. One of those questions was which team in history he would’ve liked to play with and he chose the ‘Showtime’ Lakers:
“That team was fun, they would run […] Worthy at the 4, I could play the 3 […] That’s length and we was moving too, running them. We was getting it off the glass and pushing and Magic didn’t have anyone else who could get it off the glass and push like me.”
The Lakers of the 1980s were known for having one of the best offenses in the history of the league, and adding Durant would’ve just been unfair. A lineup of Durant, Magic Johnson, Byron Scott, James Worthy, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar would be unguardable and players like Michael Cooper and Jamaal Wilkes would coming off the bench.
Durant also made a good point about being someone else who could rebound and push just like Magic. Having that option is something teams then would’ve struggled to contain.
When questions like this are asked, it always seems like the ‘Showtime’ Lakers are one of the first teams mentioned by fellow players which just goes to show how revered the team is, as well as how fun they were.