As Kevin Durant nears Michael Jordan on scoring list, NBA voices say his greatness still feels inevitable originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
More than 2,500 games between them.
Advertisement
That’s mileage. That’s wear and tear. That’s thousands of jumpers, thousands of bus rides, thousands of nights when the legs feel heavy but the lights still demand something special.
Stephen Curry is sidelined at the moment, managing the grind that eventually visits every superstar. Kevin Durant keeps moving, having missed only three games this season, still gliding into his spots like the calendar does not apply to him.
Both continue their climb up the all-time scoring list. Curry sits just 20 points shy of passing Tim Duncan. Durant is closing in on Michael Jordan. The names grow heavier. The air gets thinner.
When former NBA head coach Lionel Hollins reflects on Durant, there is no hesitation.
Advertisement
“If he were sick and in the hospital, he could come out of bed and give you 30 points,” Hollins told Sporting News, laughing. “He’s just such a natural shooter and scorer.”
More: Shark Tank’s Kevin O’Leary wears $20 million Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan card to The Actor Awards
There is a tone coaches use when they have run out of answers. Hollins knows that tone.
“Coaching against him was a matchup nightmare due to his height and quickness. His ball handling ability allows him to get to his spots for his midrange game. The guy is a future Hall of Famer and one of the all time greats without a doubt,” Hollins said.
Advertisement
Then there is the scorer’s perspective. Tracy Murray spent 14 seasons in the league carving out his own reputation as a pure shooter. He sees something familiar in Durant’s rhythm, something rare in how simple it looks.
“KD is one of my favorite players still playing. The way KD scores is easy and effortless. The level he’s playing at this late in his career is incredible. But when you’re a 3-level scorer that knows where his spots are on the floor and can elevate over the top of most defenders, it’s hard to be stopped or limited. KD is one of the best scorers of all-time. He makes it look easy,” Murray told Sporting News.
More: Why McNeese State’s viral manager is back after short stint at NC State
That may be the part that lingers most. He makes it look easy.
Advertisement
Thursday night at Toyota Center, as the Rockets host the Warriors, fans will remember 2017 and 2018. The 32-6 postseason run. The feeling of inevitability. If Curry bent a defense, Durant finished it.
But some memories stretch further back. A skinny kid in a Seattle SuperSonics jersey, all arms and jumpers, walking into the league with a smooth release and no conscience.
Nearly two decades later, the jumper still falls the same. And that alone is worth appreciating.