The legacy of former Golden State Warriors champion Kevin Durant has once again been a talking point in the past 36 hours, with the Houston Rockets stumbling to a 100-92 defeat to the Los Angeles Lakers at Toyota Center on Monday.
Durant's inability to be a number one offensive option on a true championship contender since departing the Warriors is plaguing his legacy according to some fans, and in the process just makes his former team, and superstar guard Stephen Curry, look even better.
Kevin Durant makes brutal admission after loss to Lakers
The Rockets had a six-point lead at the half on Monday, but wilted under the pressure of the Laker defense in the final 24 minutes. Durant, in particular, struggled against double-teams in the second-half, finishing with only 18 points and recording seven of the team's 22 turnovers.
Speaking after the game, Durant admitted that he, as the number one offensive guy, was to blame for Houston's struggles and ultimate defeat to a direct conference rival.
"I just felt like I lost the game for us tonight. It's that simple. Of course we probably could make more 3s, but it's on me. I mean, to be honest, I'm the offense and the opposing team is going to use all their resources and not let me get comfortable," Durant said.
After winning over 50 games and finishing as the second-seed in the West last season, the Rockets were expected to take the leap into genuine championship contention after trading for Durant in the summer.
Instead, despite a 41-26 record that has them fourth in the West, Houston have actually been a little underwhelming, and Monday's game was just another example of the late-game struggles they've endured this season.
The fact Durant has failed to recreate anywhere near the same team success in Brooklyn, Phoenix and now Houston just reiterates how great that Golden State team was during the superstar forward's three years in the Bay Area.
Kevin Durant's struggles make Stephen Curry look even better
More specifically from an individual standpoint, if Durant does go the remainder of his career without another championship, there's always going to be the asterisk of his two titles coming alongside Curry.
The double-teaming issues that Durant now faces at the Rockets was hardly present during his time at the Warriors, largely because he was playing with the best backcourt shooting pair in history with Curry and Klay Thompson.
There was a time where Curry's legacy too was tied to Durant and the pair of championships in 2017 and 2018, but the 2x MVP silenced the critics and eliminated those discussions with his triumphant fourth title in 2022.