In his three-year run in Golden State, Kevin Durant wrote his name in the history books with three straight Finals appearances and two championships over the LeBron-led Cleveland Cavaliers.
But was Durant really the best player on the Warriors, or did that title belong to Steph? According to Draymond Green, the Warriors were always about Curry:
Following this amazing performance by Curry, his long-time teammate Draymond Green couldn’t help but praise the amazing skills of Steph Curry. In the postgame conference, Green not only praised Steph but also threw shade at their former teammate Kevin Durant.
“Well, I think our offense was always a lot of Steph,” said Green. “It all starts with Steph. When KD was here our offense still started with Steph.”
It makes sense when you think about it. As good as Durant was, Curry had a bigger impact on the game just based on his shooting alone. Utilizing Steph’s unnatural shooting expertise has really worked wonders for the Warriors.
But in an appearance on ESPN, NOLA’s CJ McCollum pushed back on that narrative and insisted that Durant was the best player on the team:
“There’s no debates about who was the best player on that team. We know it was Kevin Durant. Steph knows it was Kevin Durant. Draymond, deep down, he knows it was Kevin Durant.”
CJ McCollum on the Warriors when they had KD:
“There’s no debates about who was the best player on that team. We know it was Kevin Durant. Steph knows it was Kevin Durant. Draymond, deep down, he knows it was Kevin Durant.”
(via @GetUpESPN) pic.twitter.com/zaYlPFWHhU
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) June 7, 2022
Despite Durant having left the team back in 2019, fans and experts are often thinking about his tenure in California and what it really means for his legacy.
He played great in those years, even snagging back-to-back Finals MVPs in 2017 and 2018. But, three years after his departure, it’s Curry and the Warriors who are back in the Finals after Kevin Durant and his new team got swept in the first round.
If KD doesn’t have a good run next year, it’s really going to have people re-evaluating what kind of player he is.
