Fans need to appreciate Kevin Durant

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Kevin Durant

It has become the social norm to talk bad or discredit Kevin Durant. A lot of it stems from his decision to join the Golden State Warriors. Whether it’s fans, media, or ex-NBA players, a lot of negative rhetoric has been spewed Durant’s way. Regardless of how you feel about his decision or his social media antics, he’s a player that we should appreciate while he’s still in the game.

Durant has been one of those rare breeds that have made his stamp in the NBA. He’s only gotten better over the years as he enters his 12th-season.  His athleticism and agility are uncommon at his size. We’ve never seen someone who could score the ball as he could. Durant immediately received George Gervin comparisons due to his tall and linky stature but Durant surely surpassed him as he’s tremendously gotten better.

Durant has the size of a center but plays like a guard. He’s listed as 6’10 but it’s been an NBA myth/joke that he’s easily 7’0. Despite the question of his size, his game is so smooth. The phrase, “he makes the game look so easy” is thrown around often but if you watch Durant operate, he truly embodies that. Scoring comes at ease but he’s worked hard at it.

I mean, he did this two years in a row…

His shot is superb, his ball-handling is A-1 and there’s nothing that you can really take away from him. Forwards and centers have a tough time because he has the quickness to blow by them. Guards don’t really stand a chance because his point of release is so high that they truly can’t contest his jumper. Not to mention, if he pleases, he can play with his back to the basket as well.

We’re truly watching one of, if not the best scorer to ever play the game of basketball at this very moment in time. What sucks the most is that we don’t appreciate him because of a decision he made for his life. The past couple of years has been the “talk down on Durant” trend. People have been discrediting him and talking about his decision which has been overshadowing how well this guy has been playing.

Even on the defensive side of the ball, he has stepped his game up tremendously. Being an anchor for the Golden State Warriors and contesting shots at the rim. He has made a concerted effort to get better on that side of the ball and even that has been overlooked as well. In a recent interview, he discussed how playing on the Warriors is the reason he’s left out of the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year.

We often give people their roses when it’s too late. We wait until players are retired to truly appreciate their efforts and play out on the court. When it comes to Durant, we’re doing the same thing. Unfortunately, we’re letting his social media antics and the fact that he’s playing for the Warriors overshadow how great he’s playing the game of basketball. Despite how great the Warriors are in totality, Durant deserves a lot of credit for how well he’s performing. Whether you hate him or love him, he will go down as one of the best players to ever play the game.

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