Kevin Durant has sparked a debate over the last few days by criticizing people who don’t include him in GOAT conversations because of his move to the Warriors in 2016. Draymond Green has commented on what KD said and hailed him as one of the greatest scorers of all time.
“I think KD is one of the greatest scorers we have ever seen. The way KD scored the ball is so effortless, he’s never seen a bad shot. He’s going to get you 31 points on 14 shots, that is a normal KD night. Obviously, I won’t be one who’s like, ‘KD’s championships aren’t real’. Stop it. There’s no championship that’s not real.”
However, Draymond made a good point about Stephen Curry not being included in GOAT conversations until he led the Warriors to the 2022 championship.
“Steph didn’t get the credit he gets today until 2022 when he led this team to a championship and won Finals MVP. You gotta do what Steph did to get to that conversation.”
“You gotta do what Steph did to get into that conversation.”
– Draymond Green on Kevin Durant wanting to be in the G.O.A.T convo
(Via @TheVolumeSports )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) January 23, 2024
Draymond nailed the topic squarely on the head. For years, we have only heard LeBron James in GOAT conversations due to his incredible achievements, with the conversation becoming real in 2016 when James won his third title by leading his hometown Cavaliers to overcome a 3-1 deficit against the greatest regular season team in history.
Durant joined that greatest regular season team to win two championships alongside Curry, which always made people question their status as individual players compared to LeBron. Curry winning the title as the bonafide superstar on the Warriors in 2022 is what allowed him to break into the GOAT conversations. Nobody is saying Curry is better than Michael Jordan or LeBron, but at least he’s constantly compared to Magic Johnson now.
If Durant leads the Phoenix Suns to a title this year and wins Finals MVP, his case will be a lot stronger. Whether it matches up to LeBron or Curry is something we can only evaluate after we see it happen.
Can A Title Change Kevin Durant’s Perception?
Winning a championship is the ultimate goal for every NBA player when they enter the league. The greats aren’t satisfied with having won one or two titles, as the best players want to stack as many championships as possible. That’s why LeBron is still trying to compete at a high level in Year 21. The same goes for Durant, who engineered a move out of the Brooklyn Nets to give himself a better chance of becoming a champion in Phoenix.
The Suns have a very strong roster, with Durant accompanied by Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. If the Suns win a title this year, Booker may be the likelier choice for Finals MVP due to his greater offensive responsibilities as the lead playmaking guard this season. That would hurt KD’s chances of elevating in the GOAT debate, but at least winning a title outside Stephen Curry’s shadow will be a big boost for KD.
Durant is averaging 29.6 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.6 assists this season, making headlines last night for his incredible game-winner to beat the Chicago Bulls. He’s just as good as he’s ever been, so Durant will want to seal the deal and add another ring to his resume this season.
Thank you for being a valued reader of Fadeaway World. If you liked this article, please consider following us on Google News. We really appreciate your support.
