Where Would a Championship Put Kevin Durant on All-Time Rockets list?

Kevin Durant's arrival in Houston over the offseason officially ends the Rockets' rebuilding era, and marks the start of a plausible hunt for a championship. He's the most merited Rocket since the departure of James Harden, bringing 15 All-Star appearances, an MVP and two NBA Championships to the table.

At the moment, it feels as if the world revolves around Durant –– he's the talk of the town, rightfully so. If he helps lead the Rockets to their third NBA championship and earns his third Finals MVP, that talk will only increase. He'd surely be on Houston's Mount Rushmore, but how high could he rank?

For starters, he'd certainly still be behind Hakeem Olajuwon, who led the Rockets to two championships in 1994 and 1995 as the team's lone All-Star. He's Houston's all time leader in total games, minutes, points, rebounds, blocks and many more categories. In terms of both longevity, winning, individual awards and skillset, no other Rocket comes close to Olajuwon.

Even if Durant were to bring home a championship, he'd still be one short of Olajuwon in terms of winning in Houston. Sure, he could win multiple in Houston, but that's lofty expectations considering no superstar has won multiple championships since Steph Curry on the 2022 and 2018 Warriors squads. For now, there's not a likely scenario in which Durant can overtake Olajuwon as the franchise's top dog.

Where the debate could start, however, is with his former teammate, James Harden. Harden was the face of the Rockets for the majority of the 2010s, racking up eight All-Star appearances and an MVP during his tenure. He reigned terror over the league with an unstoppable scoring package, leading the league in scoring three separate times, peaking at 36.1 points per game in 2018-2019.

However, he was never able to bring a Larry O' Brien to Houston. Harden came close, reaching the Western Conference Finals twice –– falling to Golden State both times. For many, Harden's been remembered as an all-time great scorer who couldn't get it done in the playoffs, tainting his legacy.

So if Durant swoops in and wins a championship with Houston, could he pass Harden for the No. 2 spot among the franchise greats? He'd still be behind Harden in almost all of the total accolades, but would have arguably the most important of them all in a championship.

It may not be something Rockets' fans want to hear, but Durant bringing a championship to Houston firmly puts him on the Mount Rushmore, and potentially as the franchises' No. 2 all-time.