Kevin Durant has really made a name for himself these past few years. For many, his skillset, accolades, and stretch of dominance with the Warriors have his name right up there with the best of All-Time.
But when it comes to the best players, comparing and contrasting them is a common practice — and Durant is no exception.
On Twitter, a question was posed to fans on who they thought was the better player: Durant or Celtics legend Larry Bird. Needless to say, it turned into a very interesting discussion and much of the crowd was split on the answer.
Who will go down as the better player? pic.twitter.com/sHqV682V3S
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 23, 2020
The fans had quite the debate in the comments:
https://twitter.com/HARDEN2MVP/status/1275266670337110016https://twitter.com/samizaynpiedKO/status/1275265963018137600https://twitter.com/ProcessTruster2/status/1275265982873952260
Larry Bird leads Durant in MVPs (3 to 1), All-Defensive team selections (3 to 0), and Championships (3 to 2). Bird also has a higher career average in rebounds (10) and assists (6.3).
Durant, however, has just as many Finals MVPs, has four more scoring titles, and is averaging more points so far than Bird (27 to Bird’s 24).
Skillwise, they are very similar players. Both are exceptional scorers who can hit with great frequency and efficiency from distance. They are also both well-respected on the defensive end as well.
In the end, it’s easy to see why there is so much division on this subject. People are failing to reach a consensus because they are so darn similar to each other. While Bird may have the better legacy, Durant still has plenty of time to build up his own resume. We’ll likely have to reassess this question in a few years, when Durant has more time to complete his story.
