Kevin Durant has begun his 17th season in the NBA and third with the Phoenix Suns as he just turned 36 years old, but he doesn’t believe he’ll get a statue once he decides to retire.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!Having a resume that includes being a two-time NBA champion and Finals MVP, the 2014 league MVP, 14-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA First Team honoree, Durant has accomplished feats only players can dream of and will be enshrined as a Hall of Famer one day.
While different teams recognize some of their best players ever retiring jersey numbers and other ways, some do so by having a statue standing in front of their arena. Dwyane Wade, part owner of the Utah Jazz, saw his statue unveiled by the Miami Heat for his historic 15-year career with the team as a player.
For Durant, however, he hasn’t been in one city for an extended period of time besides his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder for nine years. He has also been on the Suns, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets.
When asked if he deserves a statue on the show “Up & Adams”, he revealed he doesn’t have high hopes of one because the players that do have been with one organization for most of their career where they won NBA titles and/or had a massive impact on the franchise.
“I highly, highly doubt I get a statue of me put anywhere for playing basketball… It’s usually those guys that got the Hall of Fame career with championships and you’ve been with one city for a long time. That’s not the case for me,” Durant said.
.@KDTrey5 on Kay and D-Wade saying he deserves his own statue one day…
"I highly highly doubt I get a statue of me put anywhere for playing basketball… It's usually those guys that got the HOF career, with championships, you been with one city for a long time. That's not… pic.twitter.com/QcyOZf3TZl
— Up & Adams (@UpAndAdamsShow) October 30, 2024
While he is most known for his time with the Thunder, the fan outrage around him leaving to join not just any team, but the Warriors – the team who beat the Thunder in the 2016 playoffs – back then may or may not impact his chances of a statue.
Winning two championships with Golden State, there is a slim possibility there because Durant was only a Warrior for three seasons (2016-19). The same can be said about not having enough time on the Nets or the Suns with not much time in those cities either.
His alma mater Texas is viable since he played just one season there but turned out to be one of the best players the school has ever had. Not only can the Longhorns credit the illustrious accolades he has achieved in the NBA, but they can also honor his four Olympic gold medals as well.
Time will tell if he does get a statue or not, but this shouldn’t be a topic that is on his mind since he is still playing basketball at an extremely high level for the championship-aspiring Suns. So far this season, he is averaging 29.0 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
While he doesn’t think he will get a statue, if the Suns win a championship and he is a major reason why, then there could be a realistic argument to be had. Whether or not he gets it, Durant will still go down as one of the best basketball players ever, something that nobody can take away from him.
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Reporter Alec Cipollini covers the Phoenix Mercury, Suns and ASU Athletics for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @AlecCipollini
