Kevin Durant
Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant believes he belongs in the greatest basketball player of all time conversation along with Michael Jordan and LeBron James. And he doesn’t believe that his move to the stacked Golden State Warriors in 2016 should exclude him from such conversations.
“Why shouldn’t I be in that?” Durant told Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republic in an exclusive interview. “That’s the question you should ask. Why not? What haven’t I done?”
With career averages of 27.3 points, seven rebounds and 4.4 assists, along with shooting efficiency of 50 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from three, Durant is undeniably elite. His résumé includes a regular-season MVP, four scoring titles and two NBA Finals MVPs, both when he played for Golden State with Stephen Curry.
Considering his skill set, Durant represents the pinnacle of basketball talent. Listed at 6-foot-11, he has a versatile game that allows him to excel at practically every aspect on the court.
But does he belong in the GOAT discussion?
The short answer: no. At least not yet.
What hasn’t Durant done? He has yet to win an NBA championship without Curry, despite playing with some of the greatest supporting casts in modern basketball history.
His roster of teammates reads like a who’s who of NBA talent, including Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Andre Iguodala, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal. This assembly of players could rival any Team USA Olympic roster and showcases the unparalleled caliber of teammates Durant has had the privilege of playing alongside.
James, by comparison, has similarly benefited from strong supporting casts. The big difference? He has won championships everywhere he has played — with the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Lakers. Conversely, Durant has never won outside of Golden State.
The legacy of the late great Kobe Bryant and Curry further illustrates this point. Both have secured NBA titles without needing the most stacked teams — Bryant post-Shaquille O’Neal and Curry without Durant. This lack of a championship win outside of his time with the Warriors casts a shadow over Durant’s otherwise stellar career.
What truly distinguishes the greats from the greatest? It’s the ability to win with less, elevating everyone else around them to an elite level. So far, that’s something Durant has yet to accomplish.
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