Kevin Durant is one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. Despite being near 7’0 tall, Durant moves like a point guard and has some of the best handles in NBA history.
Durant is lethal with the ball in his hands and can score from almost anywhere on the court.
KD is considered one of the elite snipers in the league, and one of the best shooters present in the NBA today. So it comes as no surprise that he can drain the ball when it is needed most from him.
Durant has had plenty of success in the NBA during his career. KD is a former MVP, 2-time NBA champion and Finals MVP, and a multiple-time All-Star.
Many consider Durant the best player in the NBA today. But KD has been playing at an elite level for 10 years now, as he showed in the 2011-12 NBA season.
Durant and the Oklahoma City Thunder were a young team with a bright young future ahead of them.
Unbeknownst to them, they had 3 future MVPs in the team with Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden. But back then, Durant was the leader of the team and the best player.
In 2012, the Thunder took their first step into the realm of the elite. They stormed through the first round of the NBA Playoffs and then had to face the Los Angeles Lakers.
With Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol leading the team, the Lakers had a solid squad with immense championship experience.
When the series was 2-1 in favor of the Thunder, OKC traveled to Los Angeles to face the Lakers.
Game 4 was a close encounter that boiled down to a moment of magic. With 35 seconds to go and the game tied 98-98, Durant stole the ball off a bad Pau Gasol pass and sprinted to the other end.
But Durant realized the amount of time on the clock and slowed down. After letting the Lakers’ defense set, Durant went on to take his time and then score an incredible three-pointer to secure the win for OKC.
OKC went on to get past the Lakers and then defeat the Tim Duncan-led San Antonio Spurs to reach the NBA Finals. But there, they were bested by the Miami Heat and LeBron James.
That was the first glimpse we had of the LeBron-KD rivalry that still dominates the league today. And with LeBron in Lakers colors, KD could look to recreate a moment like this if his Nets face the purple and gold in the NBA Finals.
