End of an era: are LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Steph Curry finished as champions?

The NBA is witnessing the end of an era, with Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Steph Curry all failing to make it to the second round for the first time in nearly 20 years.

James was knocked out by the reigning champion Denver Nuggets for a second straight season, Durant was swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves, and Steph Curry failed to make the postseason!

The three NBA legends are all first-ballot Hall of Famers when they call it quits, but the 2024 NBA Playoffs have shown their time as champions have come to an unfortunate end.

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With four NBA Championships, four NBA Finals MVPs, and four regular season MVPs, LeBron James has dominated the basketball landscape for over 20 years, but now, aged nearly 40, his playoff domination is seemingly coming to an end.

According to Fadeaway World, James exited the first round of the playoffs in 2021 against the Phoenix Suns, missed the playoffs in 2022, and was swept in the Western Conference Finals last season by the Nuggets.

The NBA website reports James averaged 25.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 8.3 assists per game this season, but he can't carry a team to the Finals anymore. Between 2011 and 2018, 'The King' made the NBA Finals every season.

With the strength of the Western Conference and young guns like Anthony Edwards and Shai Gilgeous Alexander tearing up the league, it looks like James' domination could be over.

With NBA scoring titles, two NBA Championships, and two Finals MVPs, Kevin Durant has secured his legacy in the NBA, but after being swept for the second time in four years in the playoffs, his time looks to be over. 

Stat Muse reports Durant averaged 27.1 points per game this season, proving he is still prolific at nearly 36 years old, but questions on whether he can lead a team to a title have only gotten louder since his last title success. 

Durant formed a formidable trio with Bradley Beal and Devin Booker in Phoenix, but the three of them were outshined by 22-year-old Anthony Edwards, who led his Minnesota team to an easy 4-0 series victory. 

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While Durant may be on a competitive roster next season, the 35-year-old's harsh truth is that his playoff swagger has diminished, having only played in one NBA Finals outside of playing for the Golden State Warriors.

A four-time NBA Champion and the greatest shooter to ever live, Steph Curry looks as though his NBA Finals days are over, having failed to get past the Sacramento Kings in the play-in tournament this season.

Fadeaway World reports Curry averaged 26.4 points per game this season, but with the anger issues of Draymond Green and the demise of Klay Thompson, Curry isn't capable of carrying a team to the promised land at the age of 36.

This season, Curry has been the veteran leader on an extremely young Golden State team, with Moses Moody and Jonathan Kuminga struggling to step up into their roles and deliver as previous Warriors teams have.

Curry last won a title in 2022, but with the Warriors going through a rebuild, it is unlikely we will see Curry challenge for an NBA Championship ever again. 

With the winning careers of James, Durant, and Curry coming to an end, who will be next to dominate the NBA in years to come?

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