The first-round playoff series between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers is being framed as another chapter in the legendary rivalry between Kevin Durant and LeBron James. But for ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, the stakes are not equal. On a recent episode of First Take, Smith made his position clear: Kevin Durant cannot afford to lose this series.
“KD hasn’t been relevant in the postseason in years,” Smith argued. “LeBron has nothing to prove. Durant has everything to lose.”
The Weight of Expectation
Smith’s argument centers on the starkly different pressures facing the two future Hall of Famers. For LeBron James, at 41 years old and in his 23rd NBA season, expectations have been tempered by age and circumstance . The Lakers are without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, their two leading scorers, who are sidelined with hamstring and oblique injuries respectively . Most analysts have already written off Los Angeles, giving them a “zero percent chance” of advancing past the first round .
“LeBron has nothing to prove to anybody,” Smith said. “He’s 41. His co-stars are hurt. If they lose, nobody blames him. They say, ‘What did you expect?'”
For Durant, the calculus is different.
Durant’s Postseason Drought
The numbers back up Smith’s assertion that Durant has not been a major postseason factor in recent years. Since leaving the Golden State Warriors after the 2019 Finals, Durant’s playoff résumé has been sparse:
2020: Missed playoffs entirely (Nets)
2021: Second-round exit (Nets)
2022: First-round sweep (Nets)
2023: Second-round exit (Suns)
2024: First-round sweep (Suns)
2025: Missed playoffs entirely (Suns)
In total, Durant has not advanced past the second round since 2021. He has been swept twice in the first round. Last season, his Phoenix Suns missed the playoffs altogether with a 36-46 record . The narrative has quietly shifted from “Durant is unstoppable” to “Durant hasn’t done anything in years.”
“KD hasn’t been relevant in the postseason since he left Golden State,” Smith said. “That’s a fact. You can’t argue with it.”
The Rockets’ Championship Window
Adding to the pressure is the context of the Rockets’ roster. Houston traded away young talent, including Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks, along with multiple draft picks to acquire Durant last offseason . The move was designed to push a promising young core over the top. Anything short of a deep playoff run would be viewed as a failure.
“The Rockets didn’t trade all those assets to lose in the first round,” Smith argued. “They brought KD in to win. If they go home early, that’s on him. He’s the superstar. He’s the difference-maker.”
Durant averaged 26.0 points per game during the regular season, shooting 52% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range . He has been everything Houston hoped for. But the regular season is not the playoffs.
The LeBron Factor: A Free Swing
For LeBron, this series represents something rare in his career: a free swing. No one expects the Lakers to win. The injuries have decimated their roster. The supporting cast is thin. If they lose, the narrative will be about what could have been if Doncic and Reaves were healthy.
If they somehow pull off the upset, however, it would be one of the most stunning achievements of James’ legendary career.
“LeBron is playing with house money,” Smith said. “Nobody expects anything. If he wins, it’s a miracle. If he loses, it’s expected. Durant doesn’t have that luxury.”
The Head-to-Head History
James and Durant have faced each other 43 times in their careers. James holds a 24-19 edge in the overall head-to-head record, including a 15-14 advantage in the regular season . However, Durant leads 9-5 in playoff matchups, all of which came in the NBA Finals when he was with the Golden State Warriors .
Durant won two of those three Finals series (2017 and 2018), with James’ Cavaliers taking the 2016 title in a historic comeback. “We both think we should have more rings, but don’t because of each other,” James once said of their rivalry .
But that was then. This is now. And the circumstances could not be more different.
The Verdict: Pressure on Durant
Stephen A. Smith’s argument is not about who is the better player. It is about who has more to lose. LeBron James, at 41, is playing with a depleted roster and zero expectations. Kevin Durant, at 37, is leading a talented Rockets team that traded its future to win now.
“KD cannot lose this series,” Smith concluded. “If he does, the questions about his legacy will get louder. He hasn’t done anything in the playoffs since 2019. That’s a long time. This is his chance to remind everybody who he is.”
Game 1 tips off Saturday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. For Durant, the countdown to relevance has already begun.