While everyone in the NBA has generally regarded LeBron James as the undisputed “king” of basketball for the past 5 years, there has been another young star in the making who could soon dethrone the Miami Heat sensation. Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder is a beast and is currently the top scorer in the league. While he’s still young and peaking, is Durant’s time coming up and derailing James’ incredible run of NBA titles?

The rivalry was first mentioned during the 2012 NBA Finals. It was James’ first win in the league, and it was dominant. While Durant had the support of James Harden and Russell Westbrook, all three Thunders players were under 20 years old. Meanwhile, the Heat were led by James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh, all of whom were in their 20s. More mature and developed as players, the Heat had their way with the Thunder and easily won 4 games to 1.

But while the Heat went on to win a second championship last season, the Thunder experienced heartbreaking losses. Not only did Harden leave the team, but Westbrook was hurt in the 2013 NBA playoffs, and Durant couldn’t take on the full load of his team.

But now, at 25, Durant is no longer necessarily a young, inexperienced kid. He’s had some tough lessons in the past, but his game has continued to grow and now he’s a huge threat to LeBron James’ dominance in the NBA. Remember, a young LeBron once led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the NBA Finals, only to be swept by the San Antonio Spurs in 2007. Experience is definitely a plus in the latter stages of an NBA season.

Kevin Durant came out on fire in 2014, averaging a staggering 35.9 points per game in the month of January. His big game has found the Thunder currently atop the Western Conference standings at 43-13 (the Heat are 40-14). There has even been a discussion that Durant could be the favorite for NBA MVP this year. While a big game by James and the Heat in a 103-81 win over the Thunder last week put these rumors to rest, the message clearly got home.

And while that small victory was surely a nice blow to James’ ego (although he did break his nose in the process), what matters is what happens in June, when everything is on the table. Will James win his third straight title and really start the argument for his greatness compared to Michael Jordan, or will Durant finally reach his potential, win a championship and start a new great rivalry between the pair? Something tells me the NBA is preparing for a crash course between these two superstars and that Durant will finally have his say this time. Looking ahead, this pair could compete for the next 5 years, as the rivalry between LeBron James and Kevin Durant seems to be just beginning.