Kevin Durant makes surprising admission about getting a statue

Shortly after being immortalized with a statue, Dwyane Wade named LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry as the next three NBA legends deserving of the rare honor. 

However, Durant does not feel he has earned a statue due to his career choices. The veteran sharpshooter has played for four teams in his 17-year career, with the Thunder (nine seasons) being his only lengthy tenure. He had brief stops in Golden State (three seasons) and Brooklyn (two-and-a-half seasons) before he landed in Phoenix in 2022.   

In an interview with Kay Adams, the Suns star explained why Wade — who spent most of his career with the Heat — had built a strong emotional connection with one fan base to warrant a statue. 

"I highly, highly doubt I get a statue of me put anywhere for playing basketball," Durant said. "I appreciate the love and respect people show me. That's enough for me. Dwyane Wade's a different case. He is Miami. He is the Heat. There are very few players who get that type of love from a city. It's usually those guys that got the Hall of Fame career, with championships, and you've been with one city for a long time. That's not the case for me, but I could see it for a couple of other guys in the league."

Durant's comments suggest he is self-aware of how some fan bases perceived his previous career moves. In the aftermath of his exit from Oklahoma City, the Thunder fan base taunted him with cupcake signs and continues to boo him every time he returns to the Paycom Center. 

Durant reportedly felt he wasn't as revered as Stephen Curry in a Golden State uniform, which led to his decision to leave San Francisco. The perception was he was "a mercenary" to help the Bay Area franchise win a few championships, a role he thrived in. 

While Durant's humility is commendable, he will likely be immortalized by both the Thunder and Warriors. In 2021, Warriors governor Joe Lacob publicly declared his plan to build statues for Durant, Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala. It's also hard to foresee the Thunder not honoring Durant, who put the franchise on the map after its move from Seattle.