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If you believe ESPN reporter Chris Broussard’s “sources,” the competition to get the seven-time all-star and 2014 league MVP’s John Hancock on a contract is essentially a two-horse race between Oklahoma City and Golden State. His choice could immediately shift the NBA’s power dynamics and ultimately determine Durant’s legacy. Yeah, “legacy” is a word we need to start throwing around a whole lot more when we discuss the DMV (D.C., Maryland, Virginia) native and Texas product.
Whatever he decides, Durant won’t bring in Jim Gray to announce his decision live on ESPN like LeBron James did in the summer of 2010 when he made “The Decision” to take his talents to South Beach. But make no mistake about it, the 27-year-old Durant should be scrutinized just as heavily as a then-26-year-old James was.
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Durant is at a parallel point in his career and is facing a similarly perplexing predicament: Should he beat ’em or join ’em? And if he does join ’em, can he lead ’em?
Durant, like James 72 months ago, is about to sign his third NBA contract and enter the peak of his prime after setting a Hall of Fame pace out the gate despite not winning a ring. Durant was named the 2008 Rookie of the Year after putting up 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. In 2003-04, James became the first rookie to average 20 points, five assists and five rebounds per game since Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan on his way to taking home the award.
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Durant has four scoring titles. James has won only one in his 13-year career. James was a first-team All-NBA choice in four of his first seven seasons while Durant has garnered the honor five straight seasons.
James snuffed out Durant’s only shot at a title thus far when he led the Heat to a 4-1 victory over the Thunder in the 2012 NBA Finals.
If Durant opts to take his talents to the Bay Area and join forces with two-time MVP Stephen Curry, fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson and Swiss Army knife forward Draymond Green, will he be called a cowardly front-runner like James was?
If he stays put, and the Thunder fall again to the Warriors in the rough-and-tumble Western Conference playoffs, will he be seen as an idiot?
You’ll be the judge.
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For far, far too long he has been let off the hook. In an age where the masses crave easily identifiable heroes and villains to make comic-book characters out of ordinary men with extraordinary gifts, Durant somehow, some way has been cast as the humble, wholesome and nearly holy anti-LeBron. He was scrawny. James was, well, brawny. He was confident. James was cocky. He was humble. James was on every TV station. He was clean-cut with no readily visible ink on his body. James was tat, tat, tatted up from head to t-o-e.
Just like that, a No. 2 recruit and No. 2 overall draft choice was turned into a loveable underdog, even though he was a prep school prodigy much the same way James was.
Why, then, can’t we compare Durant to James the rest of his career the way James’ success has been pitted against Michael Jordan’s and Kobe Bryant’s for all of his? Who in the media is going to be to Durant what Skip Bayless is to James? OK, we don’t need that, but you get the picture.
Sure, Durant wasn’t declared the next best thing since the internet the way 15-year-old James was. No, he doesn’t have a “Chosen One” tattoo on his back. (Y’all do realize Paul Pierce has one as well, right?) He chose to put “Maryland” on his before denying the Wizards a sitdown. He certainly won’t promise the Thunder or his new team a championship like James did when he signed with the Heat. Maybe that’s because he’s not sure he can.
Regardless of where he lands, please stop giving Durant a pass. He doesn’t deserve it.
