Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant had a performance that we don’t usually see in the NBA.
A 40-point triple-double in a crucial playoff game.
This was easily one of the greatest games by a player in NBA history.
Durant has reached another stratosphere 🔥 pic.twitter.com/tUJVFXqrik
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) June 16, 2021
This was done without Kyrie Irving on the floor and James Harden limping around.
The Nets needed this win at home with the series tied 2-2.
Durant had to be special and he was beyond that.
It was something so beautiful and pure to watch.
This was quite possibly a legacy game for Durant.
Kevin Durant in his ‘Legacy Game’ tonight:
49 Points
17 Rebounds
10 Assists
3 Steals
2 Blocks
70 FG% (16/23)
44 3P% (4/9)any doubt he’s the best on the planet? pic.twitter.com/QnN4OLv1er
— Jack (@kyriegoatving) June 16, 2021
If it was, then he definitely aced the test.
This whole postseason has been amazing for him.
Is this the postseason where Durant’s legacy will change forever?
Why Does His Legacy Need To Change?
Durant is one of the best and most talented players ever.
He is a freak athlete with great handles and scoring ability.
His touch is a thing of beauty.
He is an 11-time All-Star with an MVP and two Finals MVPs.
So why does his legacy need a fix?
Well, context matters to a career.
Durant has had an interesting career so far.
He was the man with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Won an MVP with them and was a constant league leader in points per game.
However, he never got over the hump with that franchise.
He collapsed in the 2016 Western Conference Finals against the 73-9 Golden State Warriors team.
He then made matters worse by joining that same Warriors team in free agency.
That is when the legacy shifted.
He joined a team that beat him in dramatic fashion.
Durant thought he needed to win a title and he would be looked at differently.
However, the context matters.
Now with the Nets it is almost the same as his time with the Warriors.
The narrative is that Durant needs superstars to win.
He can’t be on a good team and elevate them.
Instead, he needs a superteam in order to compete.
That narrative has potentially shifted.
The Legacy Is Changing
That performance proved that Durant is capable.
Sure, he played on great teams, but that shouldn’t diminish the talent he possesses.
This postseason has been amazing for Durant.
All of this is happening after the man tore his Achilles two seasons ago.
Kevin Durant tore his achilles in 2019.
Two years later he is averaging playoff career-highs 33.1 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks.
(Submitted by @StevieCozens) pic.twitter.com/bcbZY2KyC4
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 16, 2021
The numbers are insane and speak volumes to the player Durant is right now.
He has been bashed for the last couple of years due to his basketball choices.
However, he was still great in the process.
With Harden hurting and Irving out, this is his team to lead.
He has not disappointed.
The Milwaukee Bucks had the advantage until Durant decided it was time to take off.
That legacy of his is shifting to where it always should have been placed.
It was unfortunate that someone like Durant was labeled as something that he is not.
He is one of the best players we have ever seen.
The legacy is back to being the deadly scorer with the ability to lead any team he is on to a title.
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