Brooklyn Nets forward Kevin Durant spoke to Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes on Wednesday about a variety of topics, including his offseason trade request and the current issues with the Nets’ roster. Durant also spoke about his legacy and how he perceives it.
Durant mentions that he doesn’t view his legacy in the way that a typical basketball fan or pundit would. He view his legacy in terms of how he helps other players improve at the game. Durant views himself as a mentor of sorts and defines his legacy by that benchmark.
Durant believes that he’s one of the best to ever do it, but doesn’t think that championships and accolades should define him. He believes that how players perform with him should be the defining part of his legacy as he brought up several players to expand on his thinking:
“All that extra (expletive) like, ‘You got to win before you retire and make sure your legacy is straight,’ that’s (expletive) to me. My legacy is predicated on what Cam Thomas is learning from me and what he’ll take away to help him by the time he’s in his 10th year. That’s my legacy.
What I did with Andre Roberson, the confidence I helped him build when he was in the league. That’s my legacy. Being able to play with Russell Westbrook, Steph Curry and Kyrie and still be me. Yeah, that’s my legacy. That’s who I am. That’s what I bring to the game.
I can play with anybody, anywhere, at any time, and you know I’m going bring it every day. That should be my legacy.”
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