Kevin Durant's Rockets decision impacted by LeBron James’ Heat legacy, claims ex-teammate

Kevin Durant and LeBron James were the biggest NBA superstars in the 2010s. An argument can be made that had the primes of both of these players come in different eras, they would have had more NBA championships on their resumes.

Before the Phoenix Suns shipped Durant to the Houston Rockets in July, there were intense speculations tying the 15-time All-Star to James' former team, the Miami Heat. The move made sense from Miami's POV since they traded their superstar Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors and remain without a bona fide star who can help them win an NBA title since LeBron helped them win in 2013. However, Durant was traded to the Rockets, where he'll chase his potential third NBA title.

LeBron's former Heat teammate, Mario Chalmers, recently made a big claim on why KD might have opted not to go to Miami via trade:

“I’ve been saying it for years. I don’t think KD ever goes to the Heat just because of the LeBron legacy. He’s gotta win two or more championships before he goes to the Heat so, I don’t think that pressures warranted at this age or at this time so I’d never thought that he’d go to Heat.” 

Chalmers points to LeBron's two championships there and said Durant won't have been able to make a name for himself in Miami if he couldn't win the same number of championships.

Kevin Durant chasing 3rd NBA title to get within one of LeBron

Basketball legacies are defined by the number of NBA titles one has won. Michael Jordan won six, making him a candidate for arguably the "Greatest of All Time." LeBron James has four, thereby entering his name in the "GOAT" conversation, but lacking the support against MJ.

Durant had his time at the big stage. He led the OKC Thunder to the NBA Finals, but LeBron & Co. defeated them in the 2012 NBA Finals. When he went to the Warriors, he defeated LeBron's Cleveland Cavaliers twice while conceding the championship once.

After leaving the Warriors, Durant has yet to get back to the NBA finals. His stint with the Brooklyn Nets, along with Kyrie Irving and James Harden, didn't materialize in an NBA championship for no fault of his own. Then he joined the Suns, but even there he lacked what it takes to get back to the NBA Finals. 

Now, as he joins the Rockets, the 36-year-old is hoping to catch up to LeBron's four rings. He needs to win two more times to enter the same stratosphere as LeBron James and Steph Curry.