Kevin Durant is considered one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. He shows his skillset every night, surprising propers and strangers with his vast arsenal on the offensive end of the ball.
KD will start his second active season with the Brooklyn Nets (third overall), trying to bring a championship to the team to cement his legacy as one of the best players of all time. According to some young players, Durant’s abilities alone have earned him the title of GOAT, but the 2x NBA champion still can have a better case if he wins more championships in New York.
Nevertheless, people still hold his decision to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016 against him. Back in the day, Durantula landed in the team that overcame a 3-1 defeat against his Oklahoma City Thunder in the playoff, which was considered a ‘snake’ move around the NBA world.
Five years after that, some folks still use that as a factor for KD not being one of the best players this game has seen. Kendrick Perkins, for instance, left Durant out of his top 10 all-time list, naming that infamous 2016 offseason as the reason why.
“No matter what, this is always going to be held against KD,” Perkins said, via The Sports Rush. It’s fair or not people are always going to talk about him blowing that 3-1 lead to the Golden State Warriors and the year going join them the following year. He chose that but this is always going to be on KD. This is always going to be held against his legacy until he wins another one or do something different.”
Perkins’ all-time top 75 NBA players list raised a lot of eyebrows around the league, so it’s not a shock that he was questioned about leaving KD out of the top 10. Even though they were teammates, their relationship has taken some hits in recent times.
We’re not saying this is personal, but Durant still has a chance to break into the top 10 if he gets two titles with the Nets, surpassing legends like Shaquille O’Neal or Wilt Chamberlain.
He’s going through some challenging moments right now as the Nets are dealing with Kyrie Irving’s refusal to take the COVID-19 vaccine. The point guard is one of the key players for the team’s title aspirations, but his off-court antics always make more noise than his game.
If KD manages to win the title next year despite all the controversies, that would boost his case as one of the 10 best players in NBA history.
