Kevin Durant forgotten in the times

When you think of the all time greats in basketball many names come to mind. Where does Kevin Durant fall in line when speaking about achievements, appreciation, and nostalgia? Kevin Durant at age 35, finds himself on the Phoenix Suns who are currently ranked 6th in the Western Conference standings, playing alongside stars Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

Durant hasn't skipped a beat averaging 28.3 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 5.7 assists throughout this season so far. In terms of efficient and effective these are great stats but at times can be overlooked due to the rising talent throughout the league. Kevin Durant arguably can go down as one of the most efficient scorers in the history of the game, but somehow may get overlooked when it is all said and done. Looking at it in perspective, a great thrill in Oklahoma City playing for the Thunder is what propelled Durant's trajectory playing alongside future hall of famers Russell Westbrook and James Harden, where he's hoisted an MVP trophy and many more accolades besides an NBA championship. Leading into the next legacy of his career that has so many fans in disarray to this day was him joining the Golden State Warriors where he won two championships along with two NBA Finals MVP trophies.

Regardless of the slander and hate that he received, Durant has always played his heart out and never stopped improving his game. Playing alongside Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green helped Durant see how impactful playing in a system with that much volume can do to elevate his performance. Going into Durant's final season with the Warriors came with many challenges from the feud with Draymond Green that was a demoralizing shift in energy, to an injury in the Finals against the Toronto Raptors was icing on the cake for a shift in a new pathway.

KD found new sailing all the way to the Eastern Conference playing for the Brooklyn Nets. His first season on the team he was recovering from an Achilles injury that occurred in the NBA Finals against Toronto. The team in his tenure acquired a former teammate in James Harden and another future hall of famer in Kyrie Irving. His time in Brooklyn was very lackluster to say the least, the hyped big three never hardly shared the court together for a wide array of reasons. Durant in Brooklyn still managed to average 29.0 points in 129 career games playing for the Nets organization. A lot of questions were raised on how successful this team could've been around Kevin Durant if everyone was bought in. Harden as time passed became disgruntled and left to Philadelphia, Kyrie's concerns became daunting for the team and he set sail, leaving Kevin Durant as a lone wolf, then BOOM!

Kevin Durant now finds himself in his second season with the Phoenix Suns now tooled with support from all star guards Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. For a second it looked like another rendition of his prior big three with Kyrie and Harden but this team is starting to gain cohesion playing alongside together on the court. Durant has proven he can endure times of adversity and continues to defy the odds that are constantly set against him. Being overlooked by the masses of rising stars and modern day super teams has Durant in a place where not a lot of attention is drawn his way.

The slim reaper is not known for being bold or outspoken, he lets his play do the talking for him, and provides winning opportunities by how he composes himself. Brining a championship to Phoenix would be pivotal to Kevin Durant's career as it is already hall of fame worthy through just his style and flow of the game, but would surmount in him receiving the recognition and love he truly deserves. Durant for so many years has been slandered but this moment upon him can quiet all the noise.

Only time will tell how impactful Kevin Durant's career and legacy will be received to the outside as his story is continuing to be written daily. Durant's abilities as a basketball player should always be respected by true fans of the game.