PORTLAND, OREGON – FEBRUARY 09: LeBron James #6 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on during the fourth quarter against the Portland Trail Blazers at Moda Center on February 09, 2022 in Portland, Oregon. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
LeBron James found the perfect way to troll both Kevin Durant and James Harden at the end of the 2022 NBA All-Star draft.
The NBA All-Star draft is naturally such a fun event to watch. The All-Star game is pretty much just a fun scoring exhibition and the All-Star draft is the perfect opportunity for the two best athletes in the NBA to have some fun crafting their teams.
This year, it looks like LeBron James had a lot more fun putting his team together than Kevin Durant did.
That’s especially true when considering how the final few picks went. With his second-to-last selection, James ended up choosing Fred VanVleet, who was the third remaining player on the board.
The other two?
James Harden and Rudy Gobert. That’s who Durant had to go through and pick from. James wasn’t able to hold back his laughter. The NBA on TNT crew was in the same boat.
There’s absolutely no way James didn’t know what he was doing in that moment he picked VanVleet over Harden and Gobert.
NBA All-Star Game: LeBron James cackles as Kevin Durant forced to pick between James Harden, Rudy Gobert
The NBA creates such phenomenal content even when it isn’t even trying to do so.
By picking VanVleet, James set Durant up to have to choose between Harden (where there’s a lot of history and drama) and Gobert (who isn’t anywhere near as good as Harden). Kudos to Durant for keeping a straight face through it all, maintaining levelheaded, and making the best possible choice out of that mess.
Arguably the best part of it all is the reaction from James at the end, when he shows just how concerned he is about Harden’s well-being.
“Is he… He hasn’t played, is he healthy?” James asked.
“Who’s that?” Kenny Smith responded.
“James [Harden]. He hasn’t played. Is he healthy?”
Absolutely phenomenal content.