ALL-DECADE: 2010-2019
By Rob Peterson #9
KEVIN DURANT
Y
ou have picked up this magazine and you have opened it to read words about Kevin Durant, specifically his place on the HOOP Magazine All-Decade team. As an NBA fan, you knew Durant would be on this team because his picture is on the cover; or, even if the cover were blank with only the words “All-Decade Team,” you knew there would be a story on Durant because…well, duh, he’s Kevin Durant. He’s one of the best small forwards in NBA history. Of course he’s going to make an All-Decade team. Heck, if they had an NBA at 70 team, he’d be on that, too. Easy. True, and this piece will be mainly about Kevin Durant and his impact on the NBA over the last decade. But as we examine Durant’s brilliance on the court, you need to know that as much as this story is about Durant, it’s also a story about you—yes, you (or rather us, NBA fans) and how you—or we— look at superstars in this age of 24/7/365 coverage of the League. Things have changed, and few things have changed more than how you perceive Durant, quite possibly the greatest scorer of his generation.
But enough about you for now. Let’s talk about what Durant has achieved in the 4,700-square feet he has called his workspace over the last decade. To justify his placement on this team, here are Durant’s impressive numbers and numerous awards since his first season in the NBA. Take a deep breath because we’re diving in: 2012 All-Star MVP 4-time NBA scoring champ 2013-14 NBA MVP 3-time NBA Finals participant 9-time All-Star 2-time NBA champion in 2017 and 2018 8-time All-NBA 2-time Finals MVP In 2010, at age 21, he became the youngest player to win a scoring title. He would go on to win three more, becoming one of five players to win the scoring title at least four times. He is one of only five players to score 20,000 points before his 30th birthday. He’s scored more points—19,289— in the last 10 seasons than anyone not named LeBron James (who has 20,349), but averaged more per game (27.9) than anyone, including LeBron
056 NATHANIEL S. BUTLER/NBAE/GETTY IMAGES
