"I hear Jordan, Magic, LeBron, Bird, Isiah, Kobe, Shaq, they talked about rings" - Chris Broussard on Kevin Durant’s legacy of helping develop players instead of winning championships
Kevin Durant is one of the greatest NBA players ever. He’s a two-time NBA Finals MVP and is widely considered to be the most gifted scorer the league has ever seen.
Despite all his impressive basketball skills, KD looks at helping develop young and often underachieving players as his biggest legacy. He recently said in an interview that he considers teaching Cam Thomas and Andre Roberson his hallmarks more than winning championships.
Chris Broussard, on “The Odd Couple” podcast, talked about how KD looks at his legacy:
(Starts at the 7:20 mark)
“Kevin Durant is obviously an all-time great player, a Hall of Famer, easy. What he said about Cam Thomas and Andre Roberson, that’s the legacy of a Udonis Haslem (of the Miami Heat). That’s the legacy of a locker room guy. … That’s a legacy for a role player.
“I don’t hear many people with KD’s ability talking about that. I hear Jordan, Magic, LeBron, Bird, Isiah, Kobe, Shaq, they talked about rings and I wanna be the best player ever. … If it’s really how KD is and feels, that may be why he hasn’t led a team to a championship or it may be a cop-out. … The players on his level aren’t judged by that.”
For most of his NBA career, Kevin Durant has been criticized for failing to lead a franchise to a championship. He spent eight seasons with the OKC Thunder without winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy. KD led the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals before losing to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and the Miami Heat.
Durant finally had enough and jumped ship in 2016. He joined a loaded Golden State Warriors that had gone 73-9 the previous season before “King James” ruined their party.
The Warriors, featuring Durant, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, promptly won back-to-back titles. They could have won a third ring had it not been for gruesome injuries to KD and Thompson.
Since winning titles with the dynastic Warriors, several basketball analysts, especially Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal have questioned his legacy. “Sir Charles” called him a bus rider rather than a bus driver.
Kevin Durant once called his legacy dead
Kevin Durant has repeatedly defended his stay with the Golden State Warriors, saying that wasn’t all about chasing a championship ring. After years of backlash due to his decision to join a rival team, KD once declared to a critic on Twitter:
“I been dead since July 4th 2016, but congrats to the dubs and my boy Steezy, a Fillmore legend, man been waitin his whole life for a parade on market st.”
I been dead since July 4th 2016, but congrats to the dubs and my boy Steezy, a Fillmore legend, man been waitin his whole life for a parade on market st. twitter.com/feltbot/status…
Durant's post is the opposite of what he considers his mark to be, particularly concerning his remarks about Cam Thomas and Andre Roberson. Kevin Durant’s statements about legacy and leadership have been contradictions that some have already noticed.
One has to wonder if the former MVP clearly knows what he wants his NBA career to be remembered by. For all his skills and accomplishments, some fans may just end up remembering him as the guy who left Steph Curry for Kyrie Irving.