OAKLAND, Calif. — One NBA scout was discussing The Finals opponents, the Cavaliers and Warriors, and made a point.
“LeBron James is No. 1, no question, but Kevin Durant, you can argue, is the second-best player alive. And I don’t think he gets enough credit,” the scout said. “It almost seems like when the Warriors win, it’s because Steph Curry played well. When they lose, it’s because Steph Curry played poorly. Did you ever hear anyone say the Cavs lost because someone other than LeBron didn’t play well?”
Valid point.
Durant takes it in stride. Like Wednesday, when he was asked about his Game 7 against Houston, the game that propelled the Warriors back here for a fourth straight NBA Finals run. Durant had a 13-point first half, a 21-point second half. So how was he able to block out that awful first half — which probably was a first half many would sell the family pet to produce.
“Well, this is my 11th year in the NBA. I know a lot of people probably didn’t watch me play before I got to the Warriors. But I was in the league before I got here, and I learned a lot along that time,” Durant said tongue-in-cheek. “I actually won an MVP award. I went to the Olympics. Scored a couple points.”
Thought he looked familiar. And it isn’t just because he is averaging a team-best 29.0 points in this postseason, along with 7.1 rebounds for the Warriors. What matters is that he has a chance at a second title. The first came last year when he was Finals MVP after making the controversial jump from Oklahoma City. The general public reaction was Durant couldn’t beat ’em, so he joined ’em when he became a Warrior. There could be snide remarks that if the Cavs prevail this year, Durant might look to join the Yankees’ batting order.
“It’s been exciting that we got the opportunity to go through that, and also get out of it and being in The Finals again,” Durant said after the Game 7 with Houston. “But we’re not satisfied. Definitely glad we’re playing still, but we want to finish the job. So we want to stay locked in and figure out just the best way to execute and win starting [Thursday in Game 1].”
Durant though always has been exceptional in talent and approach. Cleveland’s Jeff Green recalled watching Durant as a rookie when they were teammates in Seattle, and one thing impressed above all.
“His work ethic. He works on his game every day. He loves to hoop. He has a tremendous passion for this game. He gives this game everything,” Green said. “Even then I knew he would be what he is today. He has worked for everything.”
While the world watches and marvels at James, Durant has been spectacular in his own way for 11 seasons, with a 27.1 scoring average. His abilities at 7-feet are freakish. He scores inside and out. He defends. He handles the ball.
And he might not get the accolades he deserves on a team that was a champion before he arrived.
“I’ve been asked how our team is viewed publicly, but I’m too close to it to really know. But the stars get more praise and more criticism than they deserve,” Golden State general manager Bob Myers said. “Then you get into the relatability of a guy. ‘Who’s your favorite player?’ Professional sports and the word ‘fair’ don’t belong together.”