At the risk of sounding like a pessimist, it's entirely possible that Kevin Durant, who is gearing up for his 18th NBA season, will never be given his flowers as one of the most skilled players the game has ever seen. Mileage may vary but Durant is widely seen as a top-20 or even top-15 player of all time, yet the fact that he had to jump around a bit to secure his two NBA championships is held more against him than any other star of the player-empowerment era.
Durant is back in the forefront of the NBA mind after he was dealt to the Houston Rockets a few hours before Sunday night's Game 7. And so are the Durant takes.
