A lot of the conversation surrounding Kevin Durant, especially through the latter part of his career, has been that he needs to win an NBA title by himself or without a super team. To put it bluntly, how can any of those be accurate statements? You win trophies with great teams. That is how it works in sports.
It is also fair to point out that Kevin Durant is, at minimum, one of the greatest scorers in NBA history. Along with that, he is already a two-time NBA champion and a league MVP. Durant has accomplished everything there is to accomplish, and he has done it at an all-time level.
Super teams win championships
To win the big one in sports, teams need to have the best possible lineup on the field or on the court.
This is true in the NBA, especially in nearly every single era.
In the late 1950s and 1960s, Red Auerbach led the Boston Celtics to nine titles in 10 years. His teams included Hall of Famers Bill Russell, Bob Cousy and John Havlicek.
How can people forget the Chicago Bulls of the 1990s with Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippen and Dennis Rodman?
More recently, fans cannot forget about the Golden State Warriors of the last decade with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and … Kevin Durant.
Great teams need great players. Those great players cannot do it alone.
Remember, in Lebron James’ first stint with the Cleveland Cavaliers, he could never get over the championship hump because he did not have the neccesary help (2003-2010). He needed to go to the Miami Heat to win with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. Then, in his second stint in Cleveland, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love came to the rescue to help him win.
This is part of why Durant should be praised for going to Golden State and winning two rings. The team was very good already, but he made it even greater.
Durant’s numbers are legendary
Aside from having two rings, two NBA Finals MVPs and a league MVP to his name, the former Texas Longhorns star in Durant has simply been one of the most dominant players of all time, strictly by the numbers.
Durant is 15th all-time in points scored (26,710) and fourth in scoring average (27.28 points per game). He is one of the most physically gifted athletes of all time. He stands at 6-foot-10 while playing predominantly small forward. This is incredibly rare.
The 13-time All-Star and four-time scoring champion has done it all. He is a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary team, a four-time Olympic gold medalist and a 10-time All-NBA performer. The 34-year-old has flourished everywhere he has been. He has done everything there is to do in this league.
Now in Phoenix, Durant is in search of his third ring. It should be fair to say that if he does not win another NBA title in his career, that is not his fault. It should be taken into account that he has never had a season where he averaged less than 20 ppg in his career that spans over a decade-and-a-half. He has always held up his end of the bargain when trying to stack his trophy case.
Championship teams need great players, as many as they can find. The Warriors needed Kevin Durant to win two of their four trophies. Without him, who knows if they even reach the Finals. No. 35 in purple and orange deserves respect. He does not need another ring to showcase his greatness. He already is one of the great players in basketball history.
