Golden State Warriors: Is Kevin Durant in the GOAT conversation?

Kevin Durant has seen great success during his time with the Golden State Warriors. At what point does he begin receiving consideration for GOAT status?

Not many players in NBA history have ever accomplished as much as Kevin Durant. During his time with the Golden State Warriors, he has already won two NBA championships. His squad is now the favorite to win a third straight title.

This is an achievement that only four other teams have accomplished before. If Durant wins Finals MVP this time, it will be the third consecutive year in which he won the award. KD would join Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal as the only players in history to accomplish this.

Throw in the rest of his accolades and he is a one-time MVP, nine-time All-Star, four-time scoring champion, eight-time All-NBA member and a Rookie of the Year award winner. This is an extremely impressive resume.

The scariest part of all of this is that Durant hasn’t even turned 30 years old yet. Last season, KD became the second youngest player to surpass the 20,000 career point mark. The only player who reached this milestone at a younger age was LeBron James.

So, at 29 years of age, Durant has proven to be one of the greatest scorers in the history of the game. He has won an MVP award as well as two NBA championships and two Finals MVP’s. Furthermore, he still has multiple seasons of playing in his prime.

If this is the case, then why isn’t Durant’s name brought up more in the “Greatest of all-time” discussions? He already has more than enough to be a legend and he has the potential to rise even higher. What is holding him back from being considered the GOAT?

Well, for starters, it’s difficult to argue that he is even the best player in the league today. LeBron James has been the best player on the planet for almost a decade at this point. James’ ability to absolutely carry a team and push them to their peak is unprecedented. This gives LBJ the type of value on a team that Durant simply does not have.

To continue, KD is still having a tough time gaining respect for his recent accomplishment. In the eyes of many, his rings were chased and not earned. He is still receiving massive backlash for his decision to join the Warriors.

Whether these criticisms are fair or not, they are being thrown at him constantly. With this narrative being so prominently pushed through the media and fans everywhere, how can he be named the GOAT?

If Durant ever wants his name in the greatest of all-time discussion, he will need to continue to prove himself. By doing this, there will eventually be nothing left to criticize him for.