KD is great. A lot of people want to criticize him for not being what they want him to be. They think he should have built a legacy as the guy who stuck with a franchise for better or worse. Others think he should have been like LeBron, building a legacy as an icon of dominance. They wish he was like Curry or Kobe.
KD has made it very clear, in word and deeds, what he wants to do in his career. He wants to play basketball, at the best level he can. When the league was on strike, he famously went to Rucker to get a game. Every four years, he plays for the U.S. team. Why? Because that lets him play high level games in the summer. (I will always remember the 2021 Olympics- the first time a U.S. team of all stars turned to one guy and said, “We need you to win this for us, KD”. And he did).
He has had two injuries that could have ended a career. He came back from both. His whole career, he has played more minutes per game than it would be wise to. For his whole career, he has sought to expand his game, his defense, his off the ball play, his understanding of offense.
I don’t think KD is going to be one of those guys that retires on top. I think they’re going to have to wrest the ball from his hands and change the locks to the gym.
What is his career about? He wants to play high level games and he wants to be the best in them. He’s not Jordan, with the drive to beat others. He’s not LeBron, with his drive to build legacy. He’s KD. He plays great basketball, when and where he can.