Gilbert Arenas and Shannon Sharpe recently got together for a discussion on Kevin Durant. And his merits. During a Nightcap segment, Sharpe gave Gil the task of ranking KD on the top 10 list and Gil said, without any hesitation, that he would put him as the “second-best small forward ever”.
The first position would probably go to Larry Bird. Having heard enough to convince him (almost), Unc brought his next challenge. And that’s where would he place him with respect to Stephen Curry on the All-Time list? This time too, Gilbert said that the 12x All-Star was very well above Curry. “Because KD is a whole another beast, right?”
“He [Steph] had that ankle injury, so he don’t have the stats that Kevin Durant had at the same age,” Gil reasons. He adds that “the players and the ex-NBA players” would no doubt agree with him. Arenas also mentions that Curry won two titles with Durant and not the other way around. He takes it to the next level when he states that if a team were looking for someone who can play all five positions, it’s Kevin Durant they would choose. Not Curry.
The 3x Super Bowl Champion, though, doesn’t agree with Gil’s reasoning. In a comical reflex reaction, Sharpe hits right back at Gil’s title argument with one of his own – Curry won two titles without Durant, as well. While the former tight end and several fans might not be a big fan of Gilbert’s choice, there was a certain ESPN analyst who put forth the same arguments in early 2022.
Stephen A. Smith is on Team Kevin Durant
In May 2022, when a bunch of analysts got together for the NBA Countdown show, they ended up discussing the All-Time list. And who else to feature in that, but Curry and Durant. KD had left for Brooklyn by then. Stephen A. was part of the crew and he had a definitive answer to the question. “When he was in Golden State with Steph Curry, even though it was Steph Curry’s team, everybody and their mother knew Kevin Durant was a better player than Steph Curry.”
That was some serious trust in the 14x All-Star! But Smith also mentioned that when you look at the resume, the answer is obviously Curry. But as a player, it is going to be the ‘Slim Reaper’. The duo of Curry-Durant was one of the best pairing in the history of the Warriors. There will be little debate as to the fact that each would have the same success without the other.
Steph is still playing like he did in his early days. KD has joined forces with the Suns Big 4 for another shot at a title run. Both of them are accomplished players in their own rights. As Gil ultimately said, the answer to Sharpe’s question depends on the individual. And what they consider as a benchmark for greatness.
For the league and the NBA world; they love, respect, and admire both of the players for the out-of-this-world talent and skill they bring to the floor!
