Kevin Durant is one of the most polarizing players we have ever seen in the NBA. Some purists revere the Slim Reaper as the greatest offensive player in the league’s history, while some don’t even have Durant on their All-Time list because of some of his controversial career decisions. But regardless of what people say, Durant is one of the greats and deserves praise for his contributions to the game. But sometimes his propensity to speak out against criticism alienates him from a lot of positive conversations that he deserves to be a part of.
Advertisement
Durant’s former Team USA teammate, Austin Rivers was recently on the The Bill Simmons Podcast, where he was asked about KD. Rivers, who just retired from the NBA, had nothing but praise for the OKC legend. Skill-wise, the 31-year-old believes that Durant is still untouchable. A 7-foot shooter who can dribble and shoot at the same level as Durant is something that Rivers believes will never happen again.
But when it comes to handling the media, and managing his public image, Rivers does have a few qualms with Durant’s approach. Talking about this, Rivers told Simmons, “He [Durant] is a guy that goes at people on Twitter. He is guy that’s very emotional. They caught him with the burner…He always has something to say… So, people like throwing stones at his glass house.”
Rivers thinks that Durant, Curry and LeBron are the three greatest players of this era, much ahead of anyone else. But at the same time, the former Houston Rockets guard did admit that Durant needs to lead a squad to a Championship to solidify his resume. Unlike Curry and LeBron, KD has regularly had his credibility questioned due to his decision to join the Warriors back in 2017, which was originally Stephen Curry’s team.
Rivers believes that this caveat in his resume and a few shaky performances in the postseason have antagonized KD to the media. His heated interactions with detractors on social media has also done nothing to redeem his legacy. But with all that said, Rivers still thinks the Suns superstar’s durability in the league makes him an all-time great.
Charles Barkley doesn’t believe KD should lead the Suns
Charles Barkley has been very critical of Durant ever since his off-season decision to join the Warriors back in 2017. Joining the Warriors seems to have tarnished Durant’s legacy in front of many NBA Pundits, and Barkley seems to be one of them. The Sun’s legend even called out Durant during an alternative broadcast of this year’s All-Star Game. Appearing on TruTV, Barkley laid down his opinion of Durant,
“No disrespect to Kevin. Kevin’s a follower. He’s not a leader. He’s proven that on all his stops. Booker’s a hell of a player, also. I think he’s going to have to take the initiative and take this Suns team to the next level.”
Sir Charles does have a point with his recent comments about Durant. Though harsh, Durant has failed to lead a team to the Championship. The Slim Reaper failed in OKC, Brooklyn and things don’t seem to be going great at Phoenix as well. If Phoenix wants to win, it’s clear that someone has to take the responsibility as the leader, and it might be time for Durant to hand Booker the keys.
