After adding LeBron James and Jaylen Brown this offseason, all eyes are now on the Philadelphia 76ers as they aim to seize the championship next season. Their current roster is arguably the most formidable the league has seen in years, and to that effect, Kevin Durant recently said that they are better than his prime Warriors dynasty teams. That, however, seems to have sown the seeds for a potential rift between the superstar and his previous teammates.
Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, his co-stars with the Dubs back then, called KD out for the comparison he drew between those Warriors squads and the new-look 76ers team, which had some pretty snarky remarks therein. Durant noted that Klay was never an MVP candidate while also dragging Green for his relatively modest stat lines.
KD: “Klay Thompson, never a MVP in nothing, 22 PPG.”
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) August 4, 2026
KLAY: “Aye man, you good? What you using my full government for?” pic.twitter.com/Xp64dBYPxq
The 76ers might have unintentionally reopened old wounds between Kevin Durant and his old Warriors teammates
There has always been some sort of rift between Durant and the rest of the Warriors' core since his unceremonious exit from the franchise in 2019. Be that as it may, he is actually only pointing out the facts when he drew that comparison, despite what his old teammates feel about it.
On paper (emphasis on this one), the 76ers do have a more formidable squad than those dynastic Warriors squads. They not only have LeBron, but they also have a recent Most Valuable Player in Joel Embiid, an MVP contender from last season in Jaylen Brown, an All-NBA guard in Tyrese Maxey, and a rising sophomore in VJ Edgecombe, who was a finalist for the Rookie of the Year award.
What those Golden State squads have over Philly is quite simple –– championship experience and teamwork. The new-look 76ers have yet to log a single minute together, whereas the Warriors were already shattering records and had already won the title prior to KD infamously joining them in 2016.
The 76ers have an opportunity to immortalize themselves in the NBA books next season, though. The league remains wide open for taking, and while the Eastern Conference houses the reigning champs and is also much improved, there is no squad out there that can match them when strictly talking about talent.
As long as the coaches and the players fully buy in on their mission next season, the 76ers should be able to dignify and validate Durant's claim that they have a better team than his previous Warriors squads. While that will make a lot of people in Golden State uncomfortable, it is certainly a strong possibility that cannot just be glossed over.
Add us as a preferred source on Google