"Is Kevin Durant a top 10 player in the NBA of all time right now? - Bobby Marks claims KD could enter the top 10 all-time conversation if he wins another ring
ESPN analyst Bobby Marks believes Kevin Durant will enter the top 10 conversation if he wins another championship.
Durant's legacy has been in question since his former team, the Golden State Warriors, won the title without him last week. It amplified the noise that suggested they didn't need his services to begin with and they were title contenders without him as well. The Warriors just won their fourth title with curry" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Steph Curry, while Durant has won just one playoff series since leaving Golden State.
On ESPN's "Get Up," Marks discussed Durant's place on the all-time rankings. He said:
"Is Kevin Durant a top 10 player in the NBA of all-time right now? No. Is he a top 20? Of course. Can another ring get him into that top 10? Yes."
.@BobbyMarks42 says if KD wins another ring he would be a top-10 NBA player of all-time.
"Is Kevin Durant a top-10 player in the NBA of all-time right now? No. Is he a top-20? Of course. Can another ring get him into that top-10. Yes!" https://t.co/KE4C54f5t4
Durant is in the middle of probably his worst summer since he left Oklahoma City to join the Warriors.
Durant just watched his former team win a title without him and witnessed many on social media bashing his legacy. Moreover, the Dubs defeated the team that swept him in the first round, and Curry averaged 31.2 points against the same defense that nullified KD. To make matters worse, his teammate, Kyrie Irving, might leave the Brooklyn Nets this summer, according to recent rumors.
Durant needs to bounce back next season with vengeance and alter a lot of the narrative around his legacy. Many analysts and fans would agree that the only way he can do that is by winning another title.
Tim Legler believes Kevin Durant needs to win another title because his previous two weren't as valuable
Kevin Durant won two titles with the Golden State Warriors, but the constant attention on Steph Curry allowed him to dominate the game. Curry drew double-teams 30 feet away from the basket, opening up easy opportunities for Durant.
Durant rightfully won the two Finals MVP awards, but many don't consider his two titles as hard-earned achievements. The Warriors stacked the deck against the entire league, and nobody could come close to defeating the historic team.
ESPN's Tim Legler doesn't believe every championship holds the same weight, even though people will not remember the context around each one. He believes Durant needs to win a title on his own to show the NBA world that he can do it without the Warriors. On "Get Up," he said:
"Your historical legacy, as an NBA player, as that top guy that has to uplift and drive a team to a championship and make everybody better around you, as the alpha, that is something you need to get on your resume when these conversations come up about where you rank historically. It's just the truth. It's the reality of it."
Legler added an example of LeBron James, saying:
"So, you can say, 'Hey, the guy is a two-time champion.' We all know not every ring carries the same weight. I will contend till the day I stop doing this that the one ring LeBron won in Cleveland weighed more than both of the rings in Miami combined – because of the magnitude and the context around it and what he was able to accomplish."
“CLEVELAND! THIS IS FOR YOU!”
That line still sends chills down our spine as LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love lead the Cavs back from a 3-1 hole in the Finals 🙌 https://t.co/gSfOrYDwpv
Durant needs another championship, because if the Warriors win another title – and it looks like they can – his legacy will take another major hit.