Kevin Durant may be remembered most for his individual dominance with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but it was in Golden State where the future Hall of Famer was finally able to win. Lou Williams heaped praise on KD’s stint with the Warriors during a recent episode of FanDuel TV’s Run It Back.
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Williams may strike a chord with this sentiment, but the former guard underlined how Kevin Durant was the best player on the Warriors during his time with Golden State. Despite Stephen Curry’s own electrifying play, Durant immediately took over as the alpha of the Dubs’ offense. Williams said,
“As legendary as Steph Curry is, Kevin Durant was the best player on that team for those couple seasons.”
Not only did Durant’s arrival help erase the memory of Golden State’s embarrassing choke in the 2016 NBA Finals, but the 14-time All-Star also cemented the Warriors as the most dominant offense unit in NBA history. The Dubs walked away with two championships in KD’s three seasons, possibly only missing out on a three-peat due to unfortunate injury luck in the 2018-19 playoffs.
“Make no mistake about it, as legendary as Steph Curry is, Kevin Durant was the best player on that team for those couple seasons.” – @TeamLou23
Does Kevin Durant deserve to get his jersey retired in Golden State? @MichelleDBeadle | @TeamLou23 | @ChandlerParsons pic.twitter.com/PAkf6GTdMo
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) January 29, 2025
Williams doesn’t know what more Durant could have done in his time in the Bay to prove he’s one of the franchise’s best players ever. The former Sixth Man of the Year emphasized that Durant showed enough during his short tenure in Golden State for his number 35 to go up in the rafters. Despite his short stay with the Warriors, Durant was arguably the NBA’s top player during his stop, and Williams believes his contributions should be celebrated.
Lou Williams wants to see individuals recognized from the Warriors’ run
While Williams’ main point centered on giving KD his flowers, the 38-year-old wants all of Golden State’s contributing members celebrated. Referencing the franchise’s former “Death Lineup” that included Curry, Klay Thompson, Durant, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala, Williams added,
“I would like to see [the Warriors] whole group be celebrated as appropriately as they should.”
Curry, Thompson, and Green are all locks to have their jerseys retired when it’s all said and done thanks to each of their decade-long stays in the Bay. Thompson may have left for the Dallas Mavericks, but it’s clear that his most memorable production came during his time as a “Splash Brother.” Iguodala could see his name go up as well, as the veteran forward provided key defense and leadership throughout the franchise’s four titles.
Durant is the biggest question mark of the four, despite averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists and 1.5 blocks per game with the Warriors in one of the most dominant stretches in league history. His time with Golden State didn’t exactly end on great terms, but Williams believes we will see Durant’s number 35 go up at Chase Center once he calls it quits.
