One of the biggest topics since the Golden State Warriors won the NBA title has been regarding Kevin Durant and his legacy. KD joining the Warriors in 2016 has been arguably the most controversial move by any NBA superstar and the conversations about how it impacts his legacy and that of the Warriors are never-ending.
KD is one of the best scorers of all time, so when he joined the 73-win Warriors side, criticism was always going to come his way. The Warriors themselves were panned heavily for acquiring him considering how they lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2016.
A fan on Twitter argued that it was Curry and the Warriors that needed KD to help beat LeBron, which is often the main narrative surrounding this debate, but Shannon Sharpe, who is a big LeBron fan had something to say about that.
He gracious accepted so he could also beat LEBRON. The relationship was beneficial for both parties. Stop pretending only the Warriors benefited in this relationship https://t.co/B6qHir5FzO
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) June 17, 2022
David Logan: “No way Steph is better than KD. I don’t care how many titles he gets. They begged KD to come win 2 titles to beat LeBron.”
Shannon Sharpe: “He gracious accepted so he could also beat LEBRON. The relationship was beneficial for both parties. Stop pretending only the Warriors benefited in this relationship.”
Durant couldn’t beat the Warriors in 2016 when he was with the Oklahoma City Thunder, dropping a 3-1 lead himself, so it’s safe to say that he knew he needed to make the move to get over the hump. LeBron James made the NBA Finals from 2011 to 2018 every season, and at his peak, it’s safe to say he might have won more if not for the Warriors superteam.
These legacy conversations can be hard to gauge, but the fact remains that those Warriors won 2 championships and KD won Finals MVP both times. He will need to win again outside that situation to get respect from some people, but most hoop heads know just how good Durant is even without it.
