Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Kevin Durant’s immense talent
All that being said, I will concede that Durant is certainly the most talented basketball player to play professionally at the NBA level and in the city of New York. However, this alone can’t make him the New York basketball GOAT in my opinion. In sports culture, the term GOAT is used to represent a player who is the best in his sport, which involves several layers. Durant’s talent alone is top tier all-time in the NBA, but when you take into account his accomplishments and compare him to other NBA players in history, Durant is somewhere in the 11-20 range.
Durant has only played 45 games, regular season and playoffs, in the black and white. He has won no awards with Brooklyn, and while he is on the brink of winning his second playoff series for the team, this wouldn’t be an accomplishment of much significance unless it leads to a Finals appearance. Durant, when compared to other NY basketball pros before him, has accomplished very little in a very, very small sample size.
Again, Smith made it clear that he believes Durant is the greatest player to ever play in NY as a talent, but not necessarily the NY basketball GOAT based on his body of work in Brooklyn. Perhaps, based on what we know, he feels that way and would give a different answer if asked who the NY basketball GOAT is when considering everything else aside from just talent. If he was asked to elaborate and he went as far to say it’s still Durant, then he would simply be wrong.
I don’t think there is any argument to be made that when considering every aspect of a player’s NYC career, that Durant stacks up with the Ewing’s, Frazier’s, Anthony’s, or Willis Reed’s. He just hasn’t been around long enough to accomplish anything of substance. Sure, Durant has played like the Durant we knew prior to his Achilles tear, and can definitely get to that level those other players reached, but he’s not there left.
New York Knicks.</a></p>
<p>When discussing the approaching Game 5 of the Milwaukee Bucks vs Brooklyn Nets playoff series back on Tuesday morning, Smith briefly expressed his opinion that “Kevin Durant is the best player that has ever played for the city of New York.”</p>
<div class="embed ">
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">"Kevin Durant is the greatest player in the history of New York."</p>
<p>—<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/19/reaction-stephen-a-smith-says-kevin-durant-is-ny-basketball-goat/3/"https://twitter.com/stephenasmith?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@stephenasmith 👀🗽 <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/19/reaction-stephen-a-smith-says-kevin-durant-is-ny-basketball-goat/3/"https://t.co/j8GhXDUix4">pic.twitter.com/j8GhXDUix4
<p>— First Take (@FirstTake) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/19/reaction-stephen-a-smith-says-kevin-durant-is-ny-basketball-goat/3/"https://twitter.com/FirstTake/status/1404813611260862474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>June 15, 2021</a></p></blockquote>
<p><script async src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/19/reaction-stephen-a-smith-says-kevin-durant-is-ny-basketball-goat/3/"https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></div>
<p>“Kevin Durant is the greatest player in the history of New York,” Smith began. “Not Clyde Frazier 1971, not Patrick Ewing, not Carmelo Anthony. No-one. Kevin Durant is the greatest basketball player to ever represent the city of New York in basketball. Period.”</p>
<h2>Is Kevin Durant actually the best player in New York, ever?</h2>
<p>These comments definitely on their face can paint a controversial picture without given context. In that moment, Smith used these comments as a way to emphasize the greatness of Durant, who in his opinion should therefore be able to win a game on his own without James Harden and Kyrie Irving healthy. Smith predicted Durant would drop 50 points and win Game 5. That night, Durant delivered Brooklyn the W by dropping a 49-point triple-double.</p>
<p>Additionally, it is important to clarify Smith’s words for what they are. While nobody can deny Durant’s status as one of basketball’s all-time greats, there is certainly an argument to be made that he hasn’t specifically done enough, if anything, to establish himself as a New York basketball G.O.A.T. Smith made sure to cap off his comments by saying Durant is the greatest <em>to represent the city in basketball.</em></p>
<p>In this case, I would agree with Smith. Technically, Durant is the best player to ever play for a team that is located in New York State. But, even this statement has some interesting caveats. Call it nitpicking if you want, but do the Brooklyn Nets truly represent New York?</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/19/reaction-stephen-a-smith-says-kevin-durant-is-ny-basketball-goat/3/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The Nets and New York </a>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_117210" class="wp-caption aligncenter">
<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/06/19/reaction-stephen-a-smith-says-kevin-durant-is-ny-basketball-goat/3/"https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2017/07/15571831.jpeg">
<span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Knicks Mock Draft 2.0: Trading up in the draft? </a> </div>
</div><!—pageview_candidate—>">