Kevin Durant has undoubtedly etched his legacy as one of the all-time greats in the NBA. However, skepticism persists regarding the two championships he won with the Golden State Warriors. As many believed, KD took the easy way out, teaming up with Stephen Curry and Co.

Oddly enough, coming into the league, winning a title was never the top priority for Durant, who aspired to be the best player. But the constant chatter about rings and their significance began to weigh on KD. Things only escalated after his first appearance in the 2012 Finals.

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All of a sudden, there were championship expectations from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Although Durant did not initially pay much heed to the noise, it eventually caught up with him.

“After we went to the Finals in 2012, it became all about the championship. I was worrying about going to the Finals the first week of the season. You set yourself up for failure because you can’t win that early in the season, for one. And if you make a mistake, which happens, it’s just heightened,” said The Slim Reaper, admitting how it took a toll on him mentally.

“Measuring everything by whether or not I’m closer or farther away from a championship, you can’t win a championship like that. It was taking control of my mind. And I’m still going through it. There are times where I’m like, Relax. Take a deep breath. For me, mentally, I have to just focus every day on locking in on my craft and that’s what is going to help me get through every day,” added Durant, who made his Finals debut in 2012.

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There were a lot of firsts in the 2012 Finals, whether it was at the franchise or individual level.

Going up against the Miami Heat Big 3

A team on the rise, the Thunder finished as the second seed during the 2011-12 season. Storming into the playoffs, OKC clinched its first-ever Finals appearance. Waiting for them on the other end were the Big 3, starring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

LeBron James vs Kevin Durant Full Duel 2012 Finals Game 1 Heat at Thunder – 66 Pts Combined!

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Guys like Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden were still in the early stages of their careers. Thus, the Heat had the edge, which they capitalized upon, defeating the Thunder in five games. It was a heartbreaking moment for the OKC group, who came close to making franchise history.

The following years had the Durant-Westbrook duo take the reins. Despite putting up a strong showing in the regular season and some impressive playoff performances, they came up short when it mattered the most. The 2016 Western Conference Finals proved to be the final straw.

Entering free agency in 2016, KD shocked the world with his decision to sign with the Warriors.

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Two titles with the Warriors

KD knew he had his best chance to win the chip with Curry and Co. Arriving in the Bay Area in 2016, it did not take the 6’11” forward long to adapt to the Steve Kerr system. Making the Finals in each of his years with the franchise, Durant won two titles and was Finals MVP in both runs.

When he finally got the burden of winning a chip off his shoulders, Durantula shifted his focus back to individual growth.

“I wasn’t expecting to be a happy human being from a title. I was just expecting like, you know, the ending of a movie – once you worked so hard and everybody tells you like, ‘Yo, this is what you need to be working for, is this gold ball and these rings.’ And I’m just like, ‘All right, cool, let me lock in on that.’ And I locked in on wanting to achieve that, but I also realized it’s a lot of stuff that factors in it that’s out of my control,” stated KD.

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It took a while, but KD finally understood that no matter what he did, there would always be a section of critics nitpicking him. Although many try to write off the two titles he won with the Dubs, he was undoubtedly the best player on that roster, putting up a show every single time.

This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Sep 30, 2025, where it first appeared in the Old School section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.