Kevin Durant will very likely retire without receiving the recognition he truly deserves. Even if he were to win a third Larry O’Brien trophy, it is a fact that it would not significantly alter how his legacy is viewed.
He is generally mentioned alongside LeBron James and Stephen Curry as one of the greatest players of this century, and rightfully so. However, a growing narrative suggests that James and Curry are placed ahead of him simply because they “changed the game.
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LeBron ushered the league into the era of positionless basketball, where all-around players became the primary decision-makers with the ball in their hands, a major shift from the 90s when point guards were almost exclusively responsible for running the offense. Steph, meanwhile, revolutionized the game to the point where the 3-point shot became the league’s primary weapon, the mid-range nearly disappeared and small-ball lineups became the standard.
However, if you ask Austin Rivers, who spent plenty of time on the court playing against all three, the Houston Rocketsforward is almost just as responsible for changing the game as his two biggest rivals.
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“The amount of players Kevin Durant has gotten drafted is comedy because everyone is looking for the next version of him. Everyone saw this 6-foot-10 guy coming in being able to shoot, dribble, pass and score and being like, ‘We want that’ — now the whole league is full of wings who can’t do shit,” Rivers said.
“KD has gotten 100,000 guys drafted because people thought in their delusional minds they were getting another KD. He’s a one-of-one type of player. I’m tired of people seeing f*cking Thon Maker and being like, ‘Kevin Durant!’ Bro, there’s only one Kevin Durant,” Rivers added.
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KD took the league into a new era
All it takes is a look at the last few NBA drafts to understand Rivers’ point. In this year’s draft, Cooper Flagg was selected first overall, a 6-foot-9 forward who many believe will develop into an elite two-way player, something he has already hinted at over his last several games.
The year before, the top two picks were Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher, two tall, slim French forwards with massive wingspans who showed in Europe that, despite primarily operating inside, they could also function effectively on the perimeter.
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Although he is a center and significantly taller than Durant, Victor Wembanyama was the unquestioned No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, and his skill set is often compared to KD’s, despite some clear differences. Despite his height, Wembanyama averaged 18.6 field-goal attempts per game last season, an incredible 8.8 of which came from beyond the arc.
While his number of perimeter attempts has dropped this season, he is still not as dominant in the post as one might expect from a player of his size. His slender frame led to his development in a guard-like direction, which explains the unusual balance between shots from inside the paint and from outside.
There will hardly be another player like KD
These are just some of the most prominent examples from recent seasons. If we were to list all the players who fell far short of expectations placed on them, it would require an entirely separate article. That is the core of Rivers’ argument – the Slim Reaper influenced NBA general managers so deeply that they became obsessed with finding his younger version.
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Replicating everything Durant accomplished at 6-foot-11, even though he essentially played like a guard, is close to impossible. From a pure basketball standpoint, his skill set is so unique that it belongs in the rarefied air of the greatest players of all time. While the perspective of NBA GMs is understandable, players like Durant are simply one of a kind.
He ushered the league into an era where players of his size are given more and more trust with decision-making, just because his playing style is a cheat code for the opposing coaches.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Jan 1, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.