The Athletic’s Anthony Slater released an article this past Wednesday that ranked Kevin Durant as the 13th best player in NBA history. The Athletic is currently cultivating a list of the 75 greatest players in league history to celebrate its 75th anniversary season.
In the article, Slater notes that — while there’s still work that needs to be done — the relationship between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Durant is slowly healing to the point where Durant’s nine-season tenure can be fully appreciated:
“The painful playoff end and bitter 2016 breakup have painted Durant’s Thunder tenure in a tortuous way. The wounds still haven’t fully healed, though — if you talk to people closest to the situation — there’s a growing sense that the relationship between organization, city and greatest player in franchise history is inching back toward a cordial-enough place where everything Durant did there will eventually be embraced as it should.”
Durant’s 2016 departure rubbed a lot of the fanbase the wrong way as he left the Thunder for the team that defeated them in the Western Conference Finals in the Golden State Warriors.
But Durant’s place in franchise history should not be disputed. He is easily the best player that has ever suited up for the Thunder and that will probably be the case for a very long time. Hopefully things get to a point within the next decade where Durant’s legacy and contributions — both on and off the court — can be acknowledged enough to see his number 35 retired.
