There was a time that the Golden State Warriors were the laughing stock of the NBA. However, over the last half-decade, the perception of the franchise has changed dramatically.
I guess winning three championships and making five straight finals appearances between 2015 and 2019 will do that for you.
Of course, the Warriors had two of the best players in basketball for much of their run, as Stephen Curry won a title and back-to-back MVP awards in 2015 and 2016. Then, Kevin Durant arrived, leading Golden State to consecutive championships in 2017 and 2018.
The general consensus has always been that Durant was the best player on the Dubs during that stretch, and ESPN analyst and former NBA center Kendrick Perkins provided an interesting take on it Tuesday:
Kendrick Perkins says he and Kevin Durant are "straight." Then calls Durant the "best player to wear a Warriors jersey" while calling Steph Curry the "greatest Warrior of all time."https://t.co/C13w8yNCHO pic.twitter.com/asYrzNUgpu
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) April 28, 2020
Perkins makes a good point.
While Durant may have been the best player to ever wear a Warriors uniform, he only spent three seasons there. Meanwhile, Curry was drafted by the franchise and has been there for over a decade.
Perkins referenced his point from earlier this year about the Oklahoma City Thunder when he called Russell Westbrook the greatest Thunder player ever. His comment rubbed a lot of people—including Durant—the wrong way, considering Durant was widely considered superior to Westbrook.
But because Westbrook had played for Oklahoma City longer and was more beloved by the fans, Perkins basically called him Mr. Thunder, which is a completely understandable point.
His statement about Durant and Curry's standing in Warriors history is very similar, and it's hard to argue with his perspective.
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