Former Cleveland Cavaliers big man Channing Frye asked where Kevin Durant ranks all time if Golden State Warriors star guard Stephen Curry is considered a top five player ever.
I have actual Opinion but if Steph is top 5 where is KD?
— Channing Frye (@channingfrye) December 20, 2023
It’s a tricky ranking, as Curry and Durant won two titles together during their time in Golden State, but Durant – not Curry – was named the NBA Finals MVP in both instances.
While Curry has also won two NBA titles without Durant, winning the NBA Finals MVP award in Golden State’s NBA Finals victory over the Boston Celtics in the 2021-22 season, it’s fair to consider the two at least close to each other all time.
Frye didn’t share his exact opinion, but it appears he at least wants to have the conversation.
Curry is a four-time champion and two-time league MVP while Durant is a two-time champion and one-time league MVP. Durant has more career points than Curry, but the Warriors guard has the all-time 3-pointers made record and is widely considered to be the greatest shooter in the history of the sport.
Durant’s case to be above Curry in any all-time ranking is certainly hurt by the fact that Curry has won two titles without Durant while the Phoenix Suns star has yet to win a title without Curry.
Durant did go to the NBA Finals with the Oklahoma City Thunder earlier in his career, but he lost to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and the Miami Heat.
Haralabos Voulgaris the former director of quantitative research and development for the Dallas Mavericks chimed in to Frye’s conversation, saying that Durant is “certainly” below Curry in the all-time rankings.
Certainly below Steph.
— Haralabos Voulgaris (@haralabob) December 20, 2023
Fans, players and pundits everywhere are entitled to their opinions – and will likely have many differing ones – on where Durant and Curry rank all time.
The good thing for both players is that they still have time left in the NBA to build on their legacies. While Curry is still with the Warriors, Durant has a chance to prove he can win elsewhere with the Suns this season.
The Suns star forward has a new group of stars to play with, as Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are now in the backcourt for Phoenix, although Beal has been hurt for a good chunk of the 2023-24 season.
It’ll be interesting to see where people around the NBA rank Durant and Curry once their careers are over.
