The Complicated Legacy Of Kevin Durant

he's your favorite scorer's favorite scorer KD man when I watch him play just looks way too easy and for the last 15 years he's been the toughest player to guard in the NBA the fake the second oh ano breaker Kevin Durant that was the one that I I retired without really being able to figure out what it is that he you know how I can stop him as a four-time scoring champ and soon to be member of The elusive 30,000 point Club Kevin Durant's Legacy as a scorer is undeniable than Jordan and Kobe there aren't

many players who can even be put in the same sentence as KD in terms of being an Unstoppable one-on-one bucket machine however when it comes to his overall Legacy KD never gets mentioned in the same conversation as LeBron MJ Kobe or even Steph Curry when they played together in Golden State it was KD who won two finals MVPs and not Steph and yet Curry's goat status is set in stone While most people wouldn't even name Durant in their top 10 players of all time this is the complicated Legacy of Kevin Durant at the age of

21 KD became the youngest NBA scoring champion ever averaging 30.1 points per game in his third NBA season he was also the second youngest to make the first all-nba team behind only LeBron James who also won the MVP that year while KD finished second and that theme would continue over the next several years KD kept winning scoring titles while LeBron won MVPs with Durant as the runner up in the 2012 NBA finals LeBron's Miami defeated Durant and OKC in a series that was much closer than a 4-1 score would suggest although James won the title

and the finals MVP it was Durant who had slightly better numbers LeBron averaged 28 107 shooting 48% from the field and just 19% from three while KD averaged 36 and 2 shooting 55% from the field and 40% from three in fact the only reason why Lebron defeated KD in that series was the superior Shooters around him LeBron's teammates hit 47% of their threes in the series while Durant's teammates made only 26% and then in the off season the thunder made the biggest mistake in franchise history they traded away James Harden for a bag of chips

because the owner didn't want to pay the luxury tax which was the beginning of the end of a dynasty that never truly blossomed sure KD won four scoring titles in OKC and finally an MVP in 2014 but during Durant's tenure in Oklahoma the Thunder played inefficient basketball that never utilized the full extent of his basketball genius sure the Thunder always had talent but they never had the framework for that talent in the half court they played ugly at times unwatchable basketball that relied on drawing fowls and letting KD and Russ take turns in isolation against

two Defenders and after they squandered a 3-1 lead in the 2016 Conference finals against Golden State Durant realized that he needed a change of scenery and there wasn't a better team or better system than the one they had in Golden State at the time Katie's move to the Warriors seemed soft how are you viewing this move from Durant well I'm viewing it as the weakest move I've ever seen from a superstar but now it's been 8 years since his Infamous decision and we can say that the move to Golden State was the only logical one

because we finally saw KD Unleashed in all of his basketball Glory like a tailored suit Durant was made for the Warriors and the warriors were made for him in their unselfish and versatile offensive scheme in which almost every man can play any role we saw KD thrive in multi ways he wasn't only a finisher anymore now he was also used as a passer a cutter a screener or even a decoy even when Durant was the guy scoring the ball it wasn't like OKC where he got the ball on the wing and had to improvise over

two Defenders KD got a ton of easy baskets and dribble handoffs catch and shoot sets cutting to the basket it was beautiful to watch and KD made the game look effortless his efficiency Rose to a new level and the warriors were unbeatable they won 67 games in the regular season with the best offensive rating of all time in the playoffs they swept all of their Series in the west to reach another finals Clash against LeBron James and the Cavs and in that finals KD proved that the Warriors needed him as much as he needed them

the Cavaliers were a monster team but with Durant on the Warriors they were simply outmatched in every way Durant hit the biggest shot of the season and maybe the biggest shot of his career in game three Durant for three it's good Kevin Durant from downtown and Golden State takes the lead breaking the Cavaliers spirit and giving the dubs an insurmountable 30-0 lead the Warriors finished the playoffs with 16 wins and only one loss which was the best playoff record in NBA history and because of how well they shot the ball how unbelievably balanced they were

offensively and defensively and how unpredictable and yet incredibly organized they were many people believe that the 2017 warriors were the best team of all time ahead of the 1996 bulls and Kevin Durant was clearly the best player on that team Durant's critics will say it was Curry's team and that they won before he arrived but the level of basketball that KD displayed has not been reached by many people Kevin averaged 35 points 10 rebounds five assists in the finals his 35 points were the 10th best scoring average ever in the finals but while there were

players who scored more nobody was as efficient as him Durant shot 56% from the field 47% for three and 93% from the free throw line which amounts to 70% in true shooting percentage the best ever shooting performance in the NBA Finals what's even more impressive is that together with such an offensive Masterpiece KD played incredible defense kin by Durant his projection of the game when green clay and KD were on the court the Cavaliers were practically unable to get to the basket Durant slowed LeBron down in half court offense as much as possible so James

tried to rush things and tried to get most of his points points in transition KD learned how to use angles to stay in front of his man his long arms were constantly showing in the passing lanes and he became an excellent help Defender at the r right at nella's side step layup blocked by Durant and then in 2018 he took it to yet another level Durant averaged nearly two blocks per game he was the strongest he's ever been and nobody could push him around in the post because of his athleticism and length it was a

nightmare to get by him or shoot over him and if Durant didn't get injured and Miss 20 games at the end of the regular season he was a strong candidate for the defensive player of the year offensively KD's game slightly reverted to his OKC weights because he realized that he didn't need to move off the ball as much because he's Kevin Durant and he can get his shot whenever he wants see I'm Kevin Durant you know who I am I Know Who I Am The Warriors cruised through the regular season because they knew there wasn't

anyone who could touch him in the playoffs except for the Houston Rockets led by MVP James Harden Chris Paul and a bunch of switchable Defenders the Rockets built their team to match up with the Warriors and it worked after five games Houston had a 3-2 lead back for Houston has taken a three games to two lead but then they lost Chris Paul and it looked like it was going to be all over especially after a tough blowout in game six Thompson for three yes but in game seven the Rockets jumped out with a big lead

Thompson playing with the three fouls went behind the back to comp what a play and if they hadn't missed 27 threes in a row they could have won the series but if you don't bring your absolute aame you couldn't defeat those Warriors and with 34 points in game seven Durant led the dubs to another NBA finals and the Goldman State Warriors are on their way to a fourth consecutive NBA final and for the fourth consecutive year LeBron and the Cavs were the opponents but this time the Cavs were without Kyrie and with worst role players

after J.R Smith ruined LeBron's 51-point game one the world knew that the Cavs were going to get SWAT you get the feeling Jr they had the lead they didn't know the score they only showed real resistance in game three when KD once again from virtually the same spot knocked down another dagger three Kevin Durant way outside delivers Kevin Durant from downtown it's a six-point game which clinched the game and the series Durant averaged 29 11 and 7 with over two blocks in the series again shooting 50 40 90 in the finals and while this postseason

run didn't go over as smoothly as 2017 this version of KD was maybe the best Durant we've ever seen because his defense and offense were at an alltime high and then in 2019 Katie's greatness was proven again but this time it was proven by his absence after he averaged 35 five and five with 50 40 90 shooting in the first round against the Clippers Durant got injured in game four five of the second round Series against the Rockets it's Durant with sheper defending and Kevin Durant laces one through he's hurt he is as soon as

he made that shot he started look at this and while Golden State managed to defeat Houston and then Portland without KD when they got to the finals against the Raptors it was once again clear who was the best player on the Warriors without KD Toronto's defense could zero win on clay and Steph Golden State's playmaking suffered to as Durant averaged nearly six assists per game and they had no one to successfully guard Kawai one-on-one and then a miracle still recovering from the calf injury KD decided to return for game five and it made all the

difference in the world the Warriors ball movement improved and suddenly there was always somebody open as the Pure Gravity factor of KD's scoring Drew defenders in his Direction KD had 11 points in the first quarter but early in the second disaster iaka trying to stay with Durant knocks it away and Durant sliping Durant goes down holding his leg Durant tore his killes and even though the dubs ultimately lost the championship in six games if he had played the entire series The Warriors would have likely threee and KD would have finally had what he's been missing

all these years the universal acceptance of the whole basketball world that he was the best player on the planet instead he was out for a year with the worst injury in basketball and even though every GM knew that every one of them would offer Kevin Durant a Max contract ultimately KD opted to sign with the Nets and form another super team team with his good buddy Kyrie Irving after missing the entire 2020 season when KD returned it was like he never got hurt in fact in some aspects of his game he got even better here's

Durant to the rim Powers it down before the injury he was undoubtedly faster both in transition and a half cour and achilles tendon injury combined with age had eaten away at his explosiveness but being explosive was never essential to K's game somehow Durant upgraded his skills and he was able to speed up his ability to make the right decision decisions on the basketball court and because he was still a seven-footer with impeccable footwork a great handle and a feathery jump shot his efficiency improved in his first regular season as a net KD averaged 277 and

six shooting a career-high 54% from the field a career high 45% for three along with 88% from the free throw line in the playoffs Durant averaged 33 points against the Celtics with unreal 55 90 shooting splits and the Celtics had no chance because Kyrie and the newly acquired James Harden also played at an insanely High offensive level Brooklyn looked ready to go all the way but then another dose of bad luck both Kyrie and Harden got hurt in the second round against Giannis and the bucks but even without their two superstars the Nets had a

chance because they had KD in game five with the series tied KD played arguably the best game of his career scoring 49 points 17 rebounds and 10 assists while hitting 16 of his 23 shots and the Nets eak out an improbable Victory the r fires and hits the Bucks took game six but in game seven KD looked like a Terminator once again ready to destroy every opponent who got in front of it this time he had 48 points nine rebounds and six assists and he had a series winning buzzer beater that would send Brooklyn to

the Conference Finals here is Durant moving on Tucker he turns he shoots yes with 1 second remaining or at least it seemed after the instant play the refs realized that Durant's toe was on the line so his three got downgraded to a two and instead of a victory the game went into overtime in the OT KD was exhausted and the Bucks Advanced eventually winning the 2021 NBA title but if you thought that was dramatic the Nets proved they could provide much more drama especially off the court the entire 2022 season will be remembered for Kyrie

not playing because he refused to get vaccinated and then got suspended for tweeting about an anti-semitic movie to add more fuel to the fire James asked for a trade and their whole locker room became one big mess eventually Kyrie was allowed to return to the court but Harden was gone and the Nets never got the proper return for the beard in the midst of all that Haiti averaged 37-6 in what was arguably his best regular season since his MVP year but in the playoffs the weakened and depleted Nets had no answer for the toughness of

the Celtics who beat up KD every time he touched the ball and when the 2023 season started the drama continued Kyrie and KD were not happy with the team or the coach Steve Nash and by mid-season they both got traded KD ended up in Phoenix where he formed yet another super team this time with CP3 Devin Booker and DeAndre Aiden the first round of playoffs offered another 50 4090 for KD his fifth career series with those numbers which are the Holy Grail of shooting but after the Suns defeated the Clippers they lost Chris Paul to

injury against the nuggets and DeAndre Aon got embarrassed by The Joker Booker and KD tried their best with Durant averaging 3015 in the series but again his team was overmatched and they lost in six in 2024 it was another season with another new Superstar on KD's team the Suns decided to ship out Chris Paul for Bradley Beal despite his injury history a mammoth contract and his skills being very similar to KD in book and like always KD delivered with a super efficient 276 and five in the regular season but in the playoffs he once again

fell short to a better team and now as he's approaching his 36th birthday his prime is slowly but surely fading away and the question still remains is KD really worthy to be ranked in the top 10 greatest players ever even with all the failed super teams and joining a team that won 73 games well if you look at the amount of all stars that KD has played with over the years Durant has arguably played with the best teammates ever but then if we look closely at the circumstances KD was often very unlucky in pivotal moments

which made his legacy look much different for a Whole Decade KD was the second best player in the world behind LeBron and just as he was ready to surpass the king and sit on his throne Durant got injured when he returned he was again the best player in the world but injuries and drama that had nothing to do with him prevented Durant from winning that elusive third title he's also been the second most consistent player in NBA history behind only LeBron with 15 straight years of averaging 25 points or more KD is only one of

eight players in NBA history who averaged over 27 points for their whole career his 14 All-Star appearances ranks him ninth all time and when it comes to the playoffs he's again one of the most consistently great players ever with only one playoff series where he averaged less than 25 points per game in terms of championship and leadership ability KD will forever stay behind the likes of Jordan LeBron Kobe magic bird and step which in the eyes of many people will put him just outside of all the goat conversations but when you look at Prime Durant

when he was with the Warriors Haiti reached the Pinnacle of basketball here's Durant whipping and was a better overall player than some of the Legends we mentioned before and hey if you like this video stay tuned for more and continue watching Non-Stop