Kevin Durant was recently a guest on the ‘Boardroom’ show. Sitting down with his long-term agent, and founder of Boardroom, Rich Kleiman, the duo discussed all things basketball. During this, Durant was asked to give his opinions on the GOAT conversation, which KD had even talked about earlier.
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Addressing the question this time, the Sun’s forward let Kleiman know,
“Why do you even have a goat list and what does it mean in the grand scheme of things? To also highlight that it’s such a subjective thing…I have had people come to me and passionately tell me that I’m the greatest they have ever seen.”
Adding to his opinion on the GOAT debate, KD stated that he has seen similar situations to the greats of other eras, “I feel like I’ve accomplished things on a court and been in situations that the greatest have seen…So I feel like I can have a conversation about basketball with the Michael Jordans or the Kobe Bryant or the LeBron James…not about bragging about how much we’ve done, but what did you see out there, and did I see the same things.”
Listening to this little monologue from Durant, it’s clear that to him, the GOAT debate isn’t a close-ended subject. It is undeniable that Durant is one of the greatest to ever grace an NBA court. He might be the most complete scorer the game has ever seen, especially for his size.
As compared to the other people on the list, Durant lacks the accolades to compete with the likes of Jordan or Kobe but, in reality, even the Mamba wasn’t able to figure out Durant as a player, crowning the Suns forward as one of his “toughest matchups”.
Another reason for the debate about the greatest becoming subjective is due to the existence of eras. Jordan played in a much more physical era, and scoring wasn’t as simple as it is now. But the current generation has a much deeper talent pool, as the game has grown a lot since No 23 hung up his shoes. The growth of the three-point shot, the increased pace, all these things are difficult to account for when you compare players between generations.
So, Durant seems completely fair in his analysis that this debate is way more ‘subjective’ than people think. With multiple factors playing a part in the comparisons, the debate seems to be more of a media gimmick than anything else.
Kevin Durant makes the case for him being part of the GOAT debate
Kevin Durant has accomplished everything that the NBA has to offer. From MVP to Championship, KD has it all. But even with all his accomplishments, he is rarely ever mentioned in the goat conversation. He was even asked about the same by Duane Rankin of the Arizona Republics. Responding to the question, Durant said,
“Because I went to the Warriors…Why shouldn’t I be in that (conversation)? That’s the question you should ask. Why not? What haven’t I done?”
Even though Durant’s frustration is understandable, his resume isn’t quite “GOAT” caliber yet. Durant has done things, but just not at the frequency that Jordan, Kobe, or LeBron have. Unlike Jordan, Kevin only has two rings, a single MVP, and 4 scoring titles. In comparison, Jordan has won 5 MVPs, 10 scoring titles, and 6 rings.
Just comparing their accolades, it’s obvious why Durant isn’t part of the conversation. With KD having just turned 35 last year, most of his legacy is already set in stone. Unless Durant can pull off the impossible, his place in basketball history is mostly fixed, as most believe that Durant hasn’t done enough to be the ‘greatest’.
