Kevin Durant Says LeBron James’ New-Look 76ers Are Better Than His Legendary 2017 Warriors Superteam

Kevin Durant has weighed in on one of the NBA’s most talked-about roster overhauls, saying he believes the newly reshaped Philadelphia 76ers, now led by LeBron James, are a stronger team than the historic Golden State Warriors squad he helped build nearly a decade ago.

Durant shared his assessment in a series of comments on Instagram, comparing the Sixers’ revamped roster — which now includes James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown — to the 2017 Warriors team that featured Durant alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. That Golden State squad went on to dominate the league, winning back-to-back championships and beating James’ Cleveland Cavaliers in both the 2017 and 2018 NBA Finals.

A superteam comparison a decade in the making

Durant’s comments arrive roughly 10 years after his own move sent shockwaves through the league. In 2016, Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join a Warriors team that was already coming off a record-setting 73-win regular season, a decision that drew heavy criticism at the time for what many viewed as an unfair concentration of talent. With Durant added to the mix, Golden State became nearly unbeatable, reaching three straight NBA Finals and claiming back-to-back titles while cementing the group as one of the most dominant runs in modern NBA history.

Now, with James stunning the basketball world by signing with Philadelphia for his 24th NBA season, Durant has drawn a direct line between that historic Warriors run and the Sixers’ newly assembled roster, suggesting the current Philadelphia group may have even more talent on paper than the team he once helped construct.

Durant pushes back on critics

Durant’s comments were not limited to praising the 76ers. He also addressed how his own basketball opinions are often received by fans, particularly those who remain critical of his decision to join Golden State in 2016. Durant suggested that a segment of James’ fan base reacts emotionally to his commentary regardless of its substance, saying that “yall never pay attention to what I say, just respond emotionally.”

The remark reflects a familiar tension in Durant’s public relationship with James’ fan base, which has often accused him of undermining James’ legacy by teaming up with a rival superteam rather than building a championship roster independently. Durant has periodically addressed those criticisms throughout his career, and his latest comments suggest he continues to view much of the reaction to his basketball opinions through that lens.

A roster built around aging stars and new pieces

Philadelphia’s roster overhaul this offseason has been one of the most significant in the league, anchored by James’ decision to leave the Los Angeles Lakers and sign with the Sixers alongside Embiid, who has struggled with knee injuries in recent seasons. The team also added Brown via a trade with the Boston Celtics, giving Philadelphia a third proven scorer and playoff performer to pair with Maxey, the team’s rising All-Star guard, and VJ Edgecombe, a young player the organization has increasingly built around.

On paper, the combination of James’ scoring and playmaking, Embiid’s interior presence when healthy, Brown’s two-way ability and Maxey’s speed gives Philadelphia one of the most talented rosters in the Eastern Conference heading into the 2026-27 season. Whether that talent translates into the kind of dominance Durant’s Warriors teams displayed remains an open question, particularly given James’ age and Embiid’s injury history.

Not the first time Durant has drawn the comparison

This is not the first time Durant has compared the new-look Sixers to his old Warriors squad. In earlier remarks, Durant similarly likened Philadelphia’s roster to the Golden State superteam, suggesting the comparison has been on his mind since James’ decision to join the 76ers became official. The repeated comparison has added another layer to the ongoing discussion around James’ move, with fans and analysts continuing to debate whether the pairing of James, Embiid, Brown and Maxey can realistically contend for a championship this season.

A question mark hanging over the season

Despite Durant’s assessment, significant uncertainty remains around Philadelphia’s ability to live up to the lofty comparison. James, now 41 years old, enters the season having played more NBA games than any player in league history, while Embiid’s recent seasons have been repeatedly interrupted by knee problems that have limited his availability and effectiveness. Whether the Sixers can keep their new core healthy and cohesive through an 82-game season and a demanding playoff run will likely determine whether Durant’s prediction holds up.

The comparison also raises broader questions about roster construction in today’s NBA, where aging superstars increasingly join forces with existing contenders late in their careers in pursuit of one more championship run, echoing the dynamic that defined Durant’s own move to Golden State nearly a decade ago.

As the 2026-27 season approaches, Philadelphia’s roster will face intense scrutiny from analysts and fans alike, many of whom remain skeptical that a team built around James at this stage of his career, alongside an oft-injured Embiid, can match the sustained dominance of Durant’s Warriors dynasty. Others have pointed to the Sixers’ depth of talent as reason for optimism, arguing that the addition of Brown and the continued development of Maxey and Edgecombe give Philadelphia a more balanced roster than some of James’ previous title contenders.

For now, Durant’s comments have added another storyline to what was already shaping up to be one of the most closely watched seasons in recent NBA memory, with James’ arrival in Philadelphia continuing to generate debate across the league even before the Sixers have played a single regular-season game together.