“Is it ridiculous for me to say that KD will end up as the 4th best of his era? LeBron, Giannis, Steph, Durant” - Nick Wright believes Kevin Durant is not a top 10 all-time player
Kevin Durant's legacy was mentioned on Tuesday on the “Dan Patrick Show.” Nick Wright discussed where KD stands as an all-time player.
Kevin Durant is not a Top 10 All-Time player
Nick Wright said:
“Is it ridiculous for me to say that KD will end up as the fourth best of his era? LeBron (James), antetokounmpo" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-is-sponsored="false">Giannis (Antetokounmpo), Steph (Curry), Durant.”
"Is it ridiculous for me to say that KD (@KDTrey5) will end up as the 4th best of his era? LeBron, Giannis, Steph, Durant. So to me KD's a lot closer to 20th than 10"
-@GetNickWright discusses where Kevin Durant ranks all-time
For Nick's full appearance: youtube.com/watch?v=lAeNYK… https://t.co/zDuuUkqLll
Durant has won two championships, an MVP, two Finals MVP awards, four scoring titles, been named to nine All-NBA teams and selected as an All-Star 12 times.
As a member of Team USA, Durant has won three Olympic gold medals and the 2010 FIBA World Championship. He is also Team USA's all-time leader in points.
In 14 seasons, Durant has averaged 27.2 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists per game. (He missed 2019-20 due to an Achilles tendon injury.)
Needless to say, the man has surmounted absolute greatness. But Wright is still not far off. LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Steph Curry have made larger waves than Durant. All four have been selected on the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.
James has won four championships, four MVP awards, four Finals MVP awards, three All-Star MVP awards and two Olympic gold medals.
In 2021, James was selected to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team just as Durant was.
Curry is an eight-time NBA All-Star, has been MVP twice and has won three championships. Curry changed the game with his 3-point shooting and is the league's career 3-point leader. Though Dirk Nowitzki, Larry Bird and Ray Allen are famous 3-point shooters, nobody normalized the deep game like Curry did.
Antetokounmpo has received six All-Star selections, won back-to-back MVP awards in 2019 and 2020 and was the Defensive Player of the Year in 2020. Last season, he led the Bucks to their first NBA championship since 1971 and was named Finals MVP.
In 2016-17, Antetokounmpo, the Most Improved Player in 2017, became the first player to finish a regular season in the top 20 in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks.
Durant’s greatness and immense scoring ability still stand on their own. KD has more scoring titles than Antetokounmpo, James and Curry combined (three).
It is unfortunate to realize that Durant may not be included among the top three of this generation. But no matter how one structures it, he will always stand up for debate. Antetokounmpo, James and Curry may all be more decorated than Durant, but his name remains in the conversation.