When Kevin Durant, at only 26 years old, won his fourth scoring title in five seasons, no one could avoid debates about comparisons to Michael Jordan. While their positions and playing styles were quite different, Durant already established himself as the league’s top scorer at such a young age, while Kobe Bryant and LeBron James were at their peak, which speaks volumes.
The fact that Black Mamba and King James only won the prestigious scoring title three times total, while KD, alongside MJ, Wilt Chamberlain, and George Gervin, is the only player to win it four times, further confirms that KD in the Oklahoma City Thunder was arguably the league’s most lethal offensive weapon. How good he was is confirmed by one of the best defenders of his generation, Draymond Green.
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“The hardest player I had to guard in my career is KD. KD in OKC… Yeah, after that, I figured him out. Like Slim can’t score on me no more. No, he’s gonna score on everybody. But I got better and learned more about his game, but OKC and just coming into the league and figuring… Oh my god. No chance. And now, you know I give most of these n**s hell,” Draymond said on Kai Cenat’s Twitch stream.
KD consciously sacrifices self-achievement for team success
Even more terrifying is that 11 seasons have passed since his last scoring title, and he’s still at the top of his game, even at the age of 37. At one point in his career, Durant realized that individual accolades were not enough, and he wanted to dedicate himself to team success.
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Although he had all the control in OKC, he realized that, with Russell Westbrook, he probably would never win a ring. He decided to join the Golden State Warriors, with whom he eventually won two titles. As stats confirm, he was far from being a secondary option behind Stephen Curry, but he was still a primary offensive option in Steve Kerr’s system. KD consciously sacrifices self-achievement for team success.
That’s what set him apart from others – he knew he was likely the best scorer of his generation but didn’t want to be remembered only as a scorer.
“30k points on low FGA. I’m a coach’s dream. Dime dropper, I mastered scoring at 24 years old, man. Give it a rest, I don’t care about being the best scorer ever. You are diminishing my all-time greatness calling me that,” he posted on his X account.
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Green experienced Durant’s offensive power firsthand
How good he might be is best illustrated by the fact that he is ranked eighth on the all-time scoring list and second in the fewest shots taken to reach that mark. The only player who took fewer shots was Shaquille O’Neal, who dominated from the paint.
Durant’s versatility as a three-level scorer, equally effective with both hands, unlimited range, excellent footwork, post moves, and face-up game, where most of his shots came with his hand right in his face, combined with his crazy efficiency, rightly puts him in the debate for the greatest scorer ever. Green, a four-time champion and a DPOY, experienced Durant’s offensive power firsthand.
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This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.