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Does anyone have a problem with this? Or see any an advantage to either guy by training together?
Did any other great players (a la Jordan, Magic, Kobe, or Bird) train together?
Does anyone have a problem with this? Or see any an advantage to either guy by training together?
Did any other great players (a la Jordan, Magic, Kobe, or Bird) train together?
I do know that there would be off-season meet-ups like in Chicago at Hoops gym on the west side.
I know Jordan and Barkley were off-field buddies back when they were still playing but that would have been more of the golfing and nailing groupies type activities.
The two best players in the league training together during off-season? Don't really have an issue with it, as long as it doesn't dampen their competitive fire against each other during the season. The is the first time in quite some time that the league's two best players in(Lebron) or near(Durant) their primes play the same position, in a different conference on contending teams. The potential is there for some stellar match-ups. If Lebron can gain a more accurate shooting stroke and Durant improve his ballhandling, playmaking and defense by training together and it makes them better players, I'm all for it. Just keep that 'friendship' stuff off the NBA court.
most of the thunder and the hornets have almost all been in san antonio training with tim duncan and a couple other spurs from what i have been reading.
its odd and kinda funny to me, back in the day, you NEVER heard of "rivals" training together. MJ and barkley where buddies but they generally didnt go practice together all summer.
i guess the whole team usa thing has opened more of those doors?
I don't have a problem with it either... It's like brothers playing each other though. the advantage is always the younger brother. He usually is not as good as the older one so he gets better playing him. And eventually he beats him and gets better... So I expect Durant to begin to beat Lebron. having said that... It was probably gonna happen anyway regardless if they trained together or not.
And speaking of Jordan and old guys. Jordan is just too much of a competitive jerk to train or play nice with anyone. He genuinely hated his competition. The same with Kobe...
I think you could potentially be giving up a small competitive edge by divulging too much information during practice/training. Your practice partners may have insight into things that your opponents typically don't have. LBJ could pick up on a tendency of Durant, put it in his pocket and exploit it next June in the finals.
That said, I don't have a problem if they want to train together, I just think it is an ill advised thing to do.
If one guy is gaining insight, so does the other guy.
Durant is scary good and he hasn't hit his peak yet like Lebron. It generally takes until 25-28 to hit your peak int he NBA barring the odd here and there.
On second though, following up on my previous post, I would lean the other way. If they're working out in terms of pumping weights or whatever, that's one thing. Actually going out on a court and exchanging trade secrets isn't something that I believe to be in their respective best interests. As I said earlier, this has the potential to be 'the' premier individual match-up in the league: the two best players, at the same position, both on finals contenders. I don't recall the last time we saw that type of situation, but I'd hate for any future 'rivalry' to be neutralized by these guys practicing with each other off-season.
Not really a problem. First, I would be competing with the other person while we trained. Secondly, they have different strengths. Furthermore, the way their skills are used in a team are setting completely different.
Lebron is probably going to know more from experience and playing with Wade. Maybe Durant can teach Lebron how to be humble though. Maybe Durant will one up Lebron and say he will win a dozen titles. Really at this point, Durant has a better chance of reaching Lebron's goal than Lebron does.
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