Last year in January, Kevin Durant asked an important question about why he was on part of the GOAT debate. One look at his resume with two championships and two finals MVPs, plus a league MVP to his name, paints a story in his favor. But the majority of the time, the debate strikes since the success only truly arrived during his time with the Golden State. After the recent Phoenix Suns’ season, the narrative against him got only stronger. One of the franchise’s legends, Charles Barkley, who previously has questioned KD’s legacy, did so again recently.
This question especially touches a nerve after watching him fail miserably with the Phoenix Suns. Last season, in the first round, a young and hungry Minnesota team led by Anthony Edwards swept the Suns, who built their big three of Devin Booker, Bradley Beal, and KD. To make things worse, the Suns were not even able to make it to the play-in tournament this year. That’s why Dan Dakich on his show asked Chuck, “Where’s Kevin Durant, and his legacy is he being tarnished?”
“Kevin’s a great player, I think that his legacy is complicated,” Charles Barkley very bluntly stated his opinion. The Suns’ legend point of view is simply because he doesn’t like players joining any super team. Which is what the Slim Reaper did after his move from the Thunder to the Warriors. KD and OKC reached and conference finals in the 2015-16 season and were 3-1 ahead. Yet Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson came in clutch for the Dub Nation. After the loss, Durant moved to the Bay Area, which has left a sour memory.
“Kevin, who’s a great player, you know, other than the fact when he joined the Warriors, he hasn’t been successful anywhere else. And I don’t hold that against him,” Chuck said on the OutKick YouTube channel. The TNT analyst also explained why the 15x All-Star is not part of the GOAT debate.
“He wants to be like ‘Wow, he’s not in a goat conversation, cuz you’re not.’ Plain and simple. You had great success when you joined the Warriors, but not only did you not have success, you actually flamed out in those other places. You got swept last year in the playoffs, you didn’t even make a play-in this year. So that’s those are just facts.” While KD’s time in Brooklyn and Phoenix did not yield another title, it seems he is ready to change that fact.
Charles Barkley and his previous issues with Kevin Durant haunt as a new chapter awaits
The 35-year-old is never shy to crush rumors. Often active on X, KD will send a savage reply to doubters and trolls. One such time on the receiving end was Sir Charles, as the NBA icon called the veteran forward “very sensitive” towards criticism. That’s when Kevin Durant sent a reply, “This ain’t gettin tiring chuck? I’ll never respect the words that come out ya mouth fam just deal with it.” After failure with the Big of the Suns, it seems that his time in Arizona is coming to an end.
Mar 30, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) reacts after fouling a Houston Rockets player in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-Imagn Images
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, the Miami Heat are also eyeing a move for the forward. “The sense here is that while the Heat might again pursue Phoenix’s Kevin Durant, Miami isn’t going to offer all of its first-round inventory for a 36-year-old with one year left on his contract,” Jackson stated. The move will certainly be great for Miami as they will get a solid trio of Durant, Bam Adebayo, and Tyler Herro.
Moreover, it will also fill the void of a seasoned scorer left by Jimmy Butler’s exit. But the Heat connection is a recent development. Previously, the Houston Rockets were favorites to make a move for the 36-year-old veteran superstar. Despite the criticism from Charles Barkley, multiple teams want KD to be part of the franchise’s success. His 27.6 points average per game this season also points towards Durant not being affected by critics as well.
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