In an exclusive interview with Chris Henderson, Suns star Kevin Durant was asked to build his Mt Rushmore of scorers from the post-2000s. Without much thought, he gave four names — one of which was himself and gave some recognition to some of the all-time legends of this sport.
“Me, Kobe T-Mac, Bron,” said Durant.
When it comes to scoring the basketball, it involves more than just a specialty in one area of the floor. For the best of the best, guys like Durant, Kobe, McGrady, and LeBron can score in myriad ways, and there is no limitation to their offensive game. Both LeBron and Kobe are among the top five leading scorers ever, while McGrady is still often revered today for his unstoppable attack at the rim. As a 4x scoring leader himself, Durant belongs right there with them for his skill set with the ball, but according to him, he belongs in even greater conversations than this.
The Greatest Scorers In NBA History
It’s impossible to come to a consensus on the greatest scorers of all time over a 75+ year span but there are a few names that stick out above the rest. For the post-2000s, Allen Iverson was arguably one of the most ground-breaking bucket-getters in his day, using speed, quickness, and pure heart to average nearly 30 points per game over his 12-year stint with the 76ers.
Another legendary modern-day scorer is Stephen Curry, who is objectively the greatest shooter the league has ever seen. His long-range shot changed the game and while he cannot do everything that Durant can do, his impact on the floor puts him right up there with the best. But no matter how you rank the greatest scorers ever, Durant will be on there one way or another, and the fact that he’s still going strong in his 16th season could be a sign that there’s still a whole lot of elite basketball left for the 2x champion.
Is Durant In The Goat Conversation?
For Durant, it’s no secret that he views himself in the same tier as Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and the true GOATs of the sport. In his own words, he asked, “Why not?” when posed with the idea of being in the greatest of all-time conversation. To his credit, there aren’t many players alive today with a better case than him as a 13x All-Star, 4x scoring leader, 10x All-NBA player, and 2x Finals MVP.
With over 27,023 career points and counting, there is no question that Kevin is one of the best players in the modern era and his legacy as a scorer and winner will never be erased. But until he can win on his own accord, outside the umbrella of Stephen Curry, there will always be doubts about his capacity as a leader in the game. For now, amid another MVP-esque season, Durant’s main focus is to seize this opportunity with the Suns and prove all the haters wrong by leading them to a title. But no matter what happens from here to June, Durant’s legacy is already set and his place among the ranks of the greatest scorers of all time will always be alive even long after he retires from the game.
