Kevin Durant Discusses Comparing Himself to Other NBA Greats

Where does Kevin Durant rank on the list of the greatest NBA players of all time? It’s an interesting debate to have. His resume certainly puts him on a short list. He’s won an MVP, multiple Finals MVPs, scoring titles, and has racked up more counting stats than most players who have ever entered the NBA.

In a recent podcast with Fred VanVleet, Durant discussed where he views himself among the greatest players to ever play. 

"I'm not comparing myself to no human being in anything that I do. I'm inspired by people, don't get me wrong. And I want to emulate great people and successful people. I want to do what they do, and I want to learn from people who make mistakes. But I'm not sitting here trying to be better than you, I'm going out there in the gym working on my shot, saying, "Man, I'm better than Bird. This sh*t right here gonna make me better than Jordan. I don't give a damn about them that much. And I love these dudes. I care about me being the best I can be every time I step out there and me impacting the game. And I felt like what I've done over these last 19 years, like MJ, Kobe, LeBron, you can't talk down on me as if not being around, and they know that."

Some people might disagree with Durant, but he believes there is no NBA player who can claim they were or are greater than him. That’s the beauty of NBA debates, which are totally subjective.

Whether Durant is a top-10 all-time player or top-25, he is certainly up there. Once you get into that club, it doesn’t matter much. Durant can put himself right next to all the greats who have ever played, and he never needs to decide if he is slightly better or worse than any of them.