Rashad McCants boldly opines Kevin Durant to be a better basketball player than LeBron James: "Real hoopers know"
LeBron James and Kevin Durant are considered by many to be two of the greatest NBA players. They are fan favorites and have nearly guaranteed spots in All-Star games. James' appeal, though, has transcended even basketball. Durant’s popularity has somewhat been limited to the hoops world.
“King James” is always in the conversation for the greatest of all time alongside Michael Jordan and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. The “Slim Reaper” is viewed as one of the deadliest scoring machines in league history, but his GOAT status isn’t on James’ level.
Former NBA player Rashad McCants, in Gilbert Arenas’ podcast, gave his take on the score between LeBron James and Kevin Durant:
“I think that real hoopers know that Kevin Durant is gonna go down as a better, I think, basketball player than LeBron [James] at the end of the road, not right now.
"When you look at LeBron, Steph [Curry] and KD [Durant], the promotion between Steph and LeBron, it’s here [wide]. KD’s here [narrow]. I don’t know if he’s presentable [and] marketable but they have more commercials.
It’s likely how Steph Curry and LeBron James have led their teams to a championship that has elevated them to that status. James was ripped when he took his talents to South Beach and won two titles. As great as he was, some analysts and fans still had question marks on his greatness.
The 2016 win over the Golden State Warriors pushed the four-time MVP to unprecedented heights. He carried his team to an incredible 3-1 come-from-behind victory against a team that lost just nine games in the regular season. More than a few made him the GOAT following that performance.
Steph Curry has also been the man for the Golden State Warriors. He won championships before Kevin Durant’s arrival and after KD left. The Dubs may yet win another one with him as the best player on the team.
Most fans and some analysts, which include former NBA players, have put an asterisk on Durant’s two titles with the Warriors. Like LeBron James before him, he was blasted for taking his talents to Golden State to win a championship. Charles Barkley called him a “bus rider” instead of a “bus driver.”
Kevin Durant may yet change the opinion of some. Perhaps Rashad McCants is right about how KD would end up in the basketball hierarchy when all is said and done. For many, that would only happen if he led his own team to a championship.
Durant hasn’t had much postseason success without Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. If he wins a ring the way LeBron James and Curry did, many will change their minds about his status among the greats.
Gilbert Arenas blames the media for the gap in the legacy between LeBron James and Kevin Durant
Gilbert Arenas, the host of the show that Rashad McCants was in, agreed with the former Minnesota Timberwolves player. Here’s what Arenas had to say about why Kevin Durant is not seen by many to be on the same tier as LeBron James and Steph Curry:
“The media killed off the legacy when he [Durant] left [the Thunder]. … Just like when LeBron [James] got clipped when he went to Miami. The media is holding the standard on three people and it’s not fair.”
KD has teamed up with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in Phoenix. Although it is still a super team, KD is the main guy. If the Suns win it all, Durant’s legacy will look much better to many and he could be on that level with James and Curry.