With LeBron James entering Year 22 in his career that has placed him in the “greatest of all time” discussion with Michael Jordan all over the world, perhaps the debate is — or will be — expanding.
While so many basketball fans and analysts have yet to come to an agreement on who is better between Jordan and James, three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Lou Williams wants to add a third name to the discussion. That third name is Phoenix Suns superstar forward Kevin Durant.
Williams is not the first one to come up with this take. Minnesota Timberwolves All-NBA shooting guard Anthony Edwards said in February that Durant is the greatest player of all time.
Also, ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith said in August that Durant “warrants consideration at least in these (GOAT and Mount Rushmore) discussions.”
On former Suns All-NBA center Shaquille O’Neal’s “The Big Podcast,” the Basketball Hall of Famer posed the question.
“KD says his name should be discussed in the ‘greatest of all time.’ Agree or disagree?” O’Neal said.
“I think so,” Williams answered. “Kevin Durant is a transcendent talent, bro. We’ve never seen anybody like KD. The timing was bad when he went to Golden State. I think any other year in his career he’d go there, it’s not looked at as that particular thing.”
Williams is referring to when Durant signed with the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 offseason. While Durant did win the Western Conference every year of his three-year tenure in Golden State, along with two NBA Finals and two NBA Finals MVPs, he was criticized heavily when he signed there.
Durant had just lost to the Warriors as a member of the Oklahoma City Thunder the season prior in the Western Conference finals after leading Golden State 3-1 in the series.
Shaquille O’Neal’s take on Kevin Durant’s ‘GOAT’ status
As for O’Neal, he did not have a yes or no answer to his question regarding whether Durant should be in the GOAT discussion or not, however, he provided a unique response.
“I think he has his own special category, like me,” O’Neal said. “I’m not in the ‘GOAT conversation,’ but I am one of two of the most dominant players ever. So he’s one of two of the most prolific, dominant scorers ever.”
The four-time NBA champion O’Neal made 14 All-NBA teams (eight first-team All-NBA teams) and brought home an NBA MVP award in 2000. Making three All-Defensive teams, he won three NBA Finals MVP awards as well.
O’Neal led basketball in field-goal percentage with the Suns in 2008-09 (.609), and led the NBA in field-goal percentage nine other times. Winning two scoring titles, he also averaged 10.9 rebounds per game and 2.3 blocks per game in his 19-year career.
O’Neal sees a path for Durant to definitively enter the “GOAT” discussion.
Shaquille O’Neal’s path for Kevin Durant to reach definitive ‘GOAT’ discussion
“You lose to Golden State, and then you go join them, I think that tarnishes it,” O’Neal said. “Now, if you can win one where he’s the ‘bus driver’ like Charles (Barkley) always say, I think we would definitely have to put him in that conversation.”
O’Neal is referring to Suns great Barkley’s comments about Durant having never won a championship as a “bus driver.” Durant and Barkley do not get along in part due to those comments. Barkley is saying that Warriors superstar point guard Steph Curry was the leader of the teams with which Durant won championships.
Meanwhile, Durant joined Phoenix’s squad when they were just 30-26 in the 2022-23 season and coming off of an all-time NBA playoff collapse the season prior in the Western Conference semifinals.
Durant was acquired to be the bus driver and has been excellent — but he has failed to win a championship with the Suns.
“He’s the first seven-footer I’ve seen, like, putting the ball on the floor and scoring off the dribble,” Edwards said when explaining why Durant is his “GOAT.”
If Edwards is right and Durant is the “GOAT,” the Suns will be on everybody’s radar this season.