Kevin Durant is setting the record straight about his time with the Golden State Warriors. Speaking with Sports Illustrated, the two-time Finals MVP rejected comparisons to the iconic Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant duo, saying that his dynamic with Stephen Curry was something entirely unique.
“If I went out there for the Warriors and I wasn’t Finals MVP like Kobe was with Shaq, and had moments where I averaged 30 a game or got seven, eight assists, or had 40 or hit big shots… then yeah,” said Durant on any added pressure to win a title. “I would say yeah, because I’d need to prove I can do that on that level.”
Durant’s comments highlight how he views his run with Golden State as a partnership built on mutual dominance rather than hierarchy. While many fans and analysts have long compared the Curry and Durant pairing to the Shaq and Kobe dynamic, Durant believes those parallels miss the point. To him, their success was about coexistence, with two elite scorers sharing the stage and elevating one another without the need for a clear alpha or sidekick.
“I’ve done all that on that level, so I never looked at Steph like Shaq or me as Kobe,” Durant added. “I just felt that we were our own new thing. He proved he could play on that level, and I proved I could play on that level at the same time. That time with me in Golden State should be wrapped up and looked at as such. There should be no residual feelings. I don’t want that time to be changed. I want you to appreciate what that’s worth and move on.”
Durant’s move to the Warriors in 2016 changed the entire NBA hierarchy. By joining a 73-win team with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green, Durant ruined the balance of power, tipping the scales toward a team that was already running through the league.
While Durant’s tenure only lasted three years in Golden State, it was enough to solidify his legacy with two championships, two Finals MVPs, and averages of 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game on 52.4% shooting.
As a duo, Durant and Curry often get compared to the pairing of Kobe and Shaq, who won three straight titles together in the early 2000s. For Durant, however, his dynamic with Curry was something different. Rather than one player being the main star, Curry and Durant co-led the Warriors in a more balanced partnership that resulted in three years of historic success.
Recently, Durant had a chance to return to the Warriors and he shot it down in favor of the Rockets. Besides wanting to control his own destiny, Durant is satisfied with where he left things in San Francisco. In fact, at this point in his career, Durant feels that he has nothing more to prove.
Even after all these years, Durant’s run with the Warriors remains one of the most dominant stretches in NBA history. It defined an era of basketball excellence that may never be replicated. While his departure was controversial, time has given fans a clearer view of what that partnership really was: two generational players at their peak, coming together to redefine what greatness looks like.
