New methods of recovery, load management, improving the quality of life, quality nutrition, a sea of new technologies – all this makes it possible to prolong the basketball life of any player. At 39 years old, LeBron James will give everyone in the NBA an advantage. Kevin Durant may be viewed very differently due to his move to the Golden State Warriors at the peak of his powers or his history with multiple social media accounts where he responded to his haters.
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But what shouldn’t be questioned is that KD is, if not 1 of 10, then 1 of 20 best players in NBA history. At 36 years old, Durant is still incredibly effective, averaging 27.1 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game last regular season. At the same time, his shooting percentage remains at an incredible level, given that he makes a huge number of attempts (19.1): Kevin converts 52.3% of all shots from the field and from the three-point line , 41.3%. . Amazing indicators!
Slim Reaper is approaching the 30,000 point mark in the regular season. Only seven players in history have surpassed this mark: LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki and Wilt Chamberlain. Durant still needs to score 1,076 points to become the eighth person to achieve such an achievement. But some still doubt that Kevin can be considered one of the greatest players of all time.
Draymon Green
Four-time NBA champion, Golden State Warriors player
“I think Kevin is one of the best scorers we’ve ever seen. Clearly, I won’t be one of those people who will say that KD’s championships are worthless, that they are inferior. But Stephen [Карри] He did not receive the recognition he has today until 2022, when he led our team to the championship and became the MVP of the final series. “To be considered the greatest player of all time you have to do what Stephen Curry did.”
The Phoenix forward is racing towards a new milestone in his career and, if he maintains his performance at last season’s level (27.1 points), he will reach the coveted 30,000 points at the end of February or beginning of March, just after the summer break. NBA All-Star Game. But it can also happen sooner or later depending on the circumstances. Kevin is still ridiculed by many due to his personality, but he continues to do his job at a level unthinkable to most.
Kevin Durant
Photo: Kelsey Grant/Getty Images
Next season will be a real test for Durant and his Phoenix team. The Arizona team has a very decent roster, which, in addition to Kevin, includes Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Josh Okogie, Tyas Jones and Royce O’Neale. Adding to the elegant list was a competent coach, Mike Budenholzer, who led the Milwaukee Bucks to the championship in 2021.
The only thing missing from Durant’s legacy is a championship trophy outside of a superteam with Curry, Green and Thompson on the roster. There was a final with Oklahoma in 2012, but the then young KD with Russell Westbrook and James Harden failed to defeat the Miami Heat, led by LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. What will be Durant’s legacy?
He will be remembered for his failure to lead his team to a championship and his departure to Golden State, or as one of the best players of all time, who in three or four seasons could surpass Kobe Bryant as the best scorer in all times. Let’s not forget Durant’s influence on the US team. He is a four-time Olympic champion and in the last Paris Games he was the third best player on the team after LeBron and Curry, in my opinion. In general, everything depends mainly on Kevin, on how he will show himself in his remaining years in the NBA.
The basketball department of the “Championship” actively produces materials as part of current special projects: “The best games of the Russians in the NBA” and “Yegor Demin’s path to the NBA.” You can access the articles for these projects by clicking on the corresponding block below.
