The Kevin Durant blockbuster trade caught the NBA world by surprise, and with Durant closing in on making his debut with the Phoenix Suns, excitement for what the Suns' ceiling could be is constantly growing. Durant is going to be faced with tons of expectations when he returns to the court, but there may not be anyone he has to impress more than Charles Barkley.

Barkley has been critical of Durant's decision to team up with the Golden State Warriors to win his only two championships, and Barkley hasn't been shy in saying he believes Durant needs to win a title with the Suns in order to secure his legacy in his eyes. Barkley said that LeBron James and Kobe Bryant were held to the same standard prior to Durant, and he claims he will be holding Durant to that standard during his time with the Suns.

Ever since the trade, Barkley has been echoing the same sentiments to Durant; if he can win without Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson helping him out, he deserves to be considered an all-time great. But otherwise, Barkley doesn't want to hear it. He even took Stephen A. Smith to task for labeling Durant as the best player in the league right now, referencing how players like Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo are just as unguardable as Durant.

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Barkley isn't too high on Durant, even as he is close to suiting up for the Suns, the team Barkley spent a decent chunk of his career with. It will be interesting to see how Durant and the Suns fare once he returns to the court, but it looks like he certainly has a lot to prove in the eyes of Barkley during his time in Phoenix.