The moment Kevin Durant walked off the then-named American Airlines Arena after his Oklahoma City Thunder lost Game 5 of the NBA Finals versus LeBron James and the Miami Heat, a historic rivalry began.

It just didn't continue on the NBA Finals-floor for another five years.

Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors and faced James' Cleveland Cavaliers twice in the 2017 and 2018 championship series. Durant and James traded all-time great Finals stats and delivered two iconic years of competing, though Durant's team was clearly superior and lost just one game en route to the two championships.

The two players had last faced Christmas Day 2018 until this preseason, an astonishing stat. James and Durant are still two of the best players in the NBA even though they are expected to be in the twilight of their superstar careers.

“I know it’s great to see KD and [James] out there on the same floor for all fans,” Suns and former Lakers coach Frank Vogel said Monday. 

Durant and James could play for the last time in a playoff-type game for the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals Tuesday at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles. James' Lakers, though 11-7, are the West's No. 1 seed as their respective group winner (4-0 A) while Durant's Suns are the No. 4 seed and the West's “wild card” team with the best record and point differential of the non-group winners (3-1 A).

It could be the last time we see Durant and James on the floor facing one another in a Finals-like game.

Durant, who is 35 years old, defeated James with the Warriors and won two Finals MVPs. James has won four championships, including the one against Durant in 2012, and most recently as 2020 for his fourth Finals MVP trophy.

The winning team of this year's tournament will receive the NBA Cup, which is made for this year, and have a tournament MVP. James and Durant would be up for the award if their respective team wins.

“I get excited to play everyone in the league,” said Durant, who is looking to take James down for the first time this season.

The Suns play the Lakers at 8 p.m. MT. Phoenix will have star guard Devin Booker, who missed the team's two meetings against the Lakers due to injury.

Here is a crazy stat:

Per Statmuse, Durant has averaged 29.3 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.0 assists versus James in his career.

James averaged 27.9 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.6 assists in those games.

In the Finals, Durant has averaged 31.7 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 14 games versus James. Durant in 2017 with the Warriors — a team that might be the best of all time since it finished 16-1 in the playoffs — averaged 35.2 points on 55.6 percent shooting, 47.4 percent from 3-point range against James' Cavaliers, who overcame a 3-1 deficit to win the 2016 NBA Finals.