He may have lost, but in the end, he came only a few inches short of getting the Brooklyn Nets into the NBA Finals despite injuries to James Harden and Kyrie Irving.
For years, Durant had been criticized for surrounding himself with some of the best rosters in NBA history, and that prevented many fans from ranking him ahead of James, who had on several occasions displayed the ability to carry weak rosters deep into the playoffs.
In an interview with NBC Sports Bay Area’s Raj Mathai, Steve Kerr called Durant “the most talented basketball player on earth, if not of all time.” That, obviously, raised some questions about his former teammate, Michael Jordan, who is widely considered the greatest basketball player of all time.
He’s 6-11 with guard skills, unlimited 3-point range, passing, shot-blocking — his shot-blocking at the rim, it’s just stunning.
It should be noted that Kerr is not claiming that Durant is a better or more accomplished player than Jordan, only that his natural gifts are greater.
James has been such a dominant presence in the NBA for so long that it’s difficult to imagine another star replacing him atop the league’s hierarchy.