Kevin Durant Longhorn Legend

[F250 28770]

29 minutes ago, Rimbo said:

I never, ever understood the people who were trashing him or why. Seemed like a lotta bitches to me.

The year was 2016.

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was ..."

 

[Brian Fantana 6685]

1 minute ago, hobbes2702 said:

I don’t think KD is a better all time player. I do think there was a stretch where he was the best player in the league for a few years. 

It's fine to argue that, imo. I'm not sure I necessarily fully agree, but I don't really have a strong opinion either way.

[shadow_operative 15932]

6 minutes ago, Brian Fantana said:

I mean using that exact same logic, I can say that Lebron played 1/3 of his career on some of the worst teams ever dragged kicking and screaming to the playoffs in league history. He took a Cavs team on which the second best player was Zydrunas Ilgauskas, to the Finals. His best teammate overall during his first stint in Cleveland was Mo Williams, by a mile. KD also won absolutely nothing (save for his lone MVP) until he joined one of the greatest modern sports franchises ever, and he's likely to finish his career without winning anything again.

It's hilarious revisionist history to ignore those points while lambasting Lebron for basically doing the same thing, just with more success. To pretend that KD is a better all time player because he's (probably) currently a better player than old man Lebron is a joke. Seriously, you're embarrassing yourself.

i think we’ve all gone out of our way to say that lebron is the better all time player, but a)there have been large stretches where KD was better, and b)LeBron had it way easier in the east, especially in miami, than KD did in the west, especially with Russ and Harden the other two if his “big three”. literally the worst two guys you could choose out of the top tier options to be your second and third guys.

[ztejas 43419]

I almost titled the thread "Kevin Durant: Better than LeBron?" but decided against it.

LeBron is the better player for me under any hypothetical, really, but KD has had much tougher breaks over his career - mainly injuries and injuries to teammates. For the Durant injuries - it's hard to separate those from his body type. Part of what makes him so amazing also unfortunately makes him prone to injury.

There are also a lot of ways in which they've affected each other's careers.

In 2015 Durant is injured and the Ws don't have to go through OKC to make the Finals and then beat LeBron.

The Cavs don't beat the Ws in 2016 if OKC doesn't spend 7 games kicking the shit out of them all over the court (despite losing). That Raptors team CLE beat that year was a fucking joke compared to OKC. 

KD then obviously goes to the Ws and keeps a really, really good 2017 Cavs team from repeating.

In 2020 LeBron wins a really strange title where obviously the COVID shit is going on, but also Durant, Curry and Kawhi aren't in the playoffs - and Giannis loses before the Finals. 

Ultimately I think 4 titles for LeBron and 2 for KD is a decent reflection of how good each of them was from 2012-2020. 

[chainsaw 9866]

50 minutes ago, ztejas said:

I almost titled the thread "Kevin Durant: Better than LeBron?" but decided against it.

LeBron is the better player for me under any hypothetical, really, but KD has had much tougher breaks over his career - mainly injuries and injuries to teammates. For the Durant injuries - it's hard to separate those from his body type. Part of what makes him so amazing also unfortunately makes him prone to injury.

There are also a lot of ways in which they've affected each other's careers.

In 2015 Durant is injured and the Ws don't have to go through OKC to make the Finals and then beat LeBron.

The Cavs don't beat the Ws in 2016 if OKC doesn't spend 7 games kicking the shit out of them all over the court (despite losing). That Raptors team CLE beat that year was a fucking joke compared to OKC. 

KD then obviously goes to the Ws and keeps a really, really good 2017 Cavs team from repeating.

In 2020 LeBron wins a really strange title where obviously the COVID shit is going on, but also Durant, Curry and Kawhi aren't in the playoffs - and Giannis loses before the Finals. 

Ultimately I think 4 titles for LeBron and 2 for KD is a decent reflection of how good each of them was from 2012-2020. 

LeBron James: Visionary or fraud?

[shadow_operative 15932]

something that this discussion has caused me to think about: during the period we’re discussing, lebron was famous for deferring to teammates late in big games, routinely choosing to pass to an open teammate as opposed to making the play himself. with this in mind, picturing the dynamic of lebron in okc deferring to westbrook (or harden) late in games is fascinating. every teammate lebron ever had thought he was Jesus. Russ thinks of himself as God. i’d love to have seen how LBJ handled that.

Edited November 1, 2023 by shadow_operative

[chainsaw 9866]

8 minutes ago, shadow_operative said:

something that this discussion has caused me to think about: during the period we’re discussing, lebron was famous for deferring to teammates late in big games, routinely choosing to pass to an open teammate as opposed to making the play himself. with this in mind, picturing the dynamic of lebron in okc deferring to westbrook (or harden) late in games is fascinating. every teammate lebron ever had thought he was Jesus. Russ thinks of himself as God. i’d love to have seen how LBJ handled that.

Russ will demand a trade to the Lakers in a month

[aggie08 21498]

4 hours ago, shadow_operative said:

for his entire career and to this day lebron sucks at shooting in the clutch. if i needed a jump shot to save my life and i could choose anyone from the last 20 years to shoot it he’d be outside my top 25 picks.

With regards to free throws, you are correct. With regards to everything else... absolutely none of the numbers support that. Since the infamous Mavericks' series, he's been as good as anyone ever in the clutch. And, if we're just talking one shot with the game on the line:

Quote

 

LeBron is 7-12 (58%) in his career on game tying/winning field goal attempts in the final :01 of playoff games. 

 

For some context, Kobe, Steph, Durant, Kawhi, Harden, Westbrook, Dirk, Wade, Duncan, Jokic, T-Mac & Nash, other legends/MVPs of his eras are a COMBINED 6-50 (12%)

 

 

4 hours ago, SilasCoade said:

Lebron's greatness is real, but his "dominance" is not. I've never seen Lebron single-handedly take over and win a game the way MJ did on the regular.

This is very, very dumb.

[SilasCoade 2622]

I stand by it. Are you telling me that game on the line, crunch time, you are sitting there nonplussed b/c you know James is about to win the game for his team? Has it happened? Sure. Is it SOP for his teams? Absolutely not, and moreover, never has been.

[ztejas 43419]

On 10/27/2023 at 8:31 AM, Vic Mackey said:

Durant absolutely has not done more for UT athletics than any other player in history. Not even close. Unless you mean something different than results while he played there.
 

Just saw this - I meant as a former player. His donations, his involvement with the basketball program, his press clippings...

He's about as fantastic an ambassador for Texas as an ex-player that the university has ever had. He has easily - without question - the biggest personal brand of any Longhorn athlete ever - and he frequently leverages it to support the university and the basketball team. 

[Chult86 335]

12 minutes ago, SilasCoade said:

I stand by it. Are you telling me that game on the line, crunch time, you are sitting there nonplussed b/c you know James is about to win the game for his team? Has it happened? Sure. Is it SOP for his teams? Absolutely not, and moreover, never has been.

Stand by ignorance of statistics relative to every other player, go right ahead.

[aggie08 21498]

32 minutes ago, SilasCoade said:

I stand by it. Are you telling me that game on the line, crunch time, you are sitting there nonplussed b/c you know James is about to win the game for his team? Has it happened? Sure. Is it SOP for his teams? Absolutely not, and moreover, never has been.

Right, because LeBron fucking James has rarely taken over the last few minutes (and the 44 minutes before that) of a playoff game. What the hell are you talking about?

[HookEm 2467]

If Cleveland and Miami were in the West, everyone would think very differently about LeBron.  His first Finals wouldn't have come until 2012 in Miami.  And he would likely only have another 2 or 3 in his whole career.

• 2007 - Cleveland would have been a West 6 seed (instead of East 2 seed). Early out.
• 2008 - Cleveland wouldn't have made the playoffs (instead of East 4 seed)
• 2009 - Cleveland would have been eliminated by LA in the conference finals 
• 2010 - Cleveland would have been eliminated by LA in the conference finals
• 2011 - Miami would have been a West 4 seed and eliminated by the Mavs
• 2012 - Miami would have been a West 3 seed, but still probably win the title
• 2013 - Miami would have been the overall 1 seed regardless
• 2014 - Miami would have been eliminated by the Spurs in the conference finals
• 2015 - Cleveland would have been eliminated by Golden State in the conference finals
• 2016 - Cleveland would have been a West 3 seed and go through Spurs and Warriors
• 2017 - Cleveland would have been eliminated by Golden State in the conference finals
• 2018 - Cleveland would have been eliminated by Golden State in the conference finals

Put Durant in the East all those years and maybe he doesn't win any more titles than LeBron, but he sure as hell would have made a lot of Finals.

[ztejas 43419]

On 11/1/2023 at 9:51 PM, HookEm said:

Put Durant in the East all those years and maybe he doesn't win any more titles than LeBron, but he sure as hell would have made a lot of Finals.

Yep. 2011 they would have had a shot. 2014 they likely make the Finals. 2016 they almost assuredly do. 

Probably 3 or 4 years with OKC they would have been the best team in the East if you swap him with LeBron. Say Westbrook doesn't have his knee fucked up by Pat Bev in 2013 in the first round and that's another season. Maybe Indy gets them in 2013 or 2014.

[Michael Knight 12977]

At this point you almost have to feel sorry for KD, he keeps going to other teams to play with a star and they keep just being injured so he always has to wind up playing with scrubs

[closetohumping 17440]

[aggie08 21498]

Wut?

[Blotto 23498]

On 11/5/2023 at 1:44 AM, Michael Knight said:

At this point you almost have to feel sorry for KD, he keeps going to other teams to play with a star and they keep just being injured so he always has to wind up playing with scrubs

Lulz. I can't feel sorry for any athlete that has earned $300M + endorsements to bounce a fucking ball. Plenty of great athletes never win a championship, but he did. Probably could have won more in GS, but he chose to team up with two of the biggest head cases in the league instead. 

The only athletes I feel sorry for are the ones who experience career ending injuries before ever getting to realize their potential. KD will go down as an all-time great with generational wealth, and he wouldn't want you to feel sorry for him. 

 

[closetohumping 17440]

He’s eating Princes lunch tonight 

[shadow_operative 15932]

well Prince is like 5’3” and dead, so.

[shadow_operative 15932]

this just in: he’s still an assassin. 

[shadow_operative 15932]

15-22 (6-8), 38 pts, 9 reb, 9 ast, + the game clinching pull up three. 

honestly, everything he does is unprecedented and borderline unbelievable. the achilles injury should have ended his career. he’s doing things that have never been done before on a nightly basis. i honestly believe that he, MJ, and Wilt are the three best offensive players ever, with respect to guys like larry, steph, and jokic. 

[closetohumping 17440]

[shadow_operative 15932]

On 11/17/2023 at 11:39 PM, shadow_operative said:

this just in: he’s still an assassin. 

it’s like deja vu all over again.

 

[shadow_operative 15932]

i suppose that “DC Sniper” wouldn’t be the most popular nickname? 

[Braff Zacklin 13561]

Wish KD had better judgment with teams and teammates. Also wish he would allow himself to be load managed. He's almost always the highest in minutes for his team each game. It absolutely wears him down by season's end.

 

But I get it--he just loves to ball. He'll be hitting the courts well after retirement. As long as he can walk, he can hoop. 

What a fucking legend. 🤘

[ztejas 43419]

 

 

[ztejas 43419]

 

 

[hobbes2702 13032]

4 hours ago, ztejas said:

 

 

 Best scoring forward of all time.

Lebron has the points but no forward has ever been able to score in all the ways KD can.

Edited December 2, 2023 by hobbes2702

[shadow_operative 15932]

7 hours ago, hobbes2702 said:

 Best scoring forward of all time.

Lebron has the points but no forward has ever been able to score in all the ways KD can.

if steph curry was 7 feet tall he’d almost be as scary as KD.

[Hornius Emeritus 12460]

KD Tonight: 27 points,  16  assists, 10 rebounds, two steals, one block

He will pass Carmelo Anthony  and possibly Shaq this year to be # 8 on the all-time scoring list, behind Wilt.

Edited December 28, 2023 by Hornius Emeritus

[Scraps 13561]

KD with that last brick

Bad beat city

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

[Dutchrudder 11139]

This guy...

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

[ztejas 43419]

 

[ztejas 43419]

Durant masterclass tonight.

40/9/2 and 3 blocks on 18/25 shooting and 4/7 from 3. Zero free throws en route to 40. Suns over Pacers 117-110.

Suns with 5 straight and 10 of their last 13.

Edited January 22 by ztejas

[shadow_operative 15932]

 

[ztejas 43419]

Dude's gunning for the MVP.

Also - what he's doing at his age is absurd. He's putting up 30 a night and is the best defender on a playoff team. The number of guys that have been this good at 35+ you can count on one hand and two of them are the two greatest players to ever lace 'em up.

And even counting MJ and LeBron, Durant is older this season than Jordan was in 1998. 

I mean that's fucking stupid.

Modern medicine definitely gets some credit, to be fair. 

Jesus I didn't even realize the line he had. 43/6/8/1/2 on 50% FG and 1 turnover. That's b2b with 40.

Edited January 23 by ztejas

[ztejas 43419]

More on last night:

Phoenix was down 22 with 6 mins to go in the 3rd Q. Durant had 33 points from then until the end of the game (yes - 33). Including the game winner and a 3 with 29 seconds left to put PHO up 2.

Another unreal performance lost in Embiid's 70 point night. 

Edited January 23 by ztejas

[BigOrange1 6436]

man that is some good shit.  thanks for posting.

[ztejas 43419]

Bump for the casuals.

Phoenix is taking on the Mavs tonight at 7:30 on ABC. Durant is riding one of the best streaks of his career. I don't know how many more games we have to watch him play basketball but I'm going to try and start tuning in (I mean I've watched like 400 of his games but haven't watched a lot this season).

He is 323 points away from 9th in all-time scoring (Carmelo). He is 630 points away from 8th all-time (Shaq). He should make himself 8th by the end of the season barring major injury. 

Edited January 25 by ztejas

[shadow_operative 15932]

1 hour ago, ztejas said:

Bump for the casuals.

Phoenix is taking on the Mavs tonight at 7:30 on ABC. Durant is riding one of the best streaks of his career. I don't know how many more games we have to watch him play basketball but I'm going to try and start tuning in (I mean I've watched like 400 of his games but haven't watched a lot this season).

He is 323 points away from 9th in all-time scoring (Carmelo). He is 630 points away from 8th all-time (Shaq). He should make himself 8th by the end of the season barring major injury. 

rick barnes’ best and worst recruits to end up as All Americans going at it early on. 🍿 

[ztejas 43419]

KD already mounting a huge comeback. Dallas trying to punk PHO early - PHO within 8 with 4 mins left in the 2.

KD hasn't shot well but his presence is undeniable. All-time great that warps the court on both ends without ever seeing the ball. 

[HeHateMe 884]

5 minutes ago, ztejas said:

KD already mounting a huge comeback. Dallas trying to punk PHO early - PHO within 8 with 4 mins left in the 2.

KD hasn't shot well but his presence is undeniable. All-time great that warps the court on both ends without ever seeing the ball. 

KD couldn’t hit anything in the first half the other night, then in the second he drained everything.

[ztejas 43419]

Phoenix up 9.

[closetohumping 17440]

 

[HeHateMe 884]

15

[ztejas 43419]

I fucking told y'all to watch this shit. He's inhuman right now. 

He's willing them to wins simply by existing. 

Edited January 25 by ztejas

[ztejas 43419]

Bro KD just ended a national-debut ABC broadcast.