Kevin Durant is finally getting some well-deserved recognition for the strides he’s made on the defensive end this season. Durant appreciates that he’s now getting recognized as more than a scorer, which he claims he’s been trying to accomplish since 2012.

Per Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle:

Kevin Durant on hearing about his stellar defense of late: “It's cool that people are starting to recognize me as more than just a scorer. I've been trying to shake that rap since 2012.”

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It’s interesting to realize Durant was focusing on being known more than a scorer for over half his career. Even as Durant won the NBA MVP award in 2014, he was still almost exclusively regarded as a truly gifted scorer and not really much of a two-way player.

It's a testament to Durant's desire to keep getting better that he still wanted to prove he was more than a scorer. Not every player has that drive to continue improving and it's what makes Durant so special.

It may have taken a few years, but Durant is finally reaping the fruits of all his hard work this year as he’s matured into one of the best defenders in the league.