Kevin Durant doesn’t shy away from smoke—he walks straight into it. Amid fresh trade rumors and fans reviving Charles Barkley’s tired “bus driver” jab, KD fired back online, defending his legacy from those who claim he rode Steph Curry’s coattails in Golden State. Not only did he shut down the noise, he summoned Curry himself into the conversation, implying that if anyone had a problem with their dynamic, Steph didn’t. With two Finals MVPs and no time for revisionist takes, Durant made it clear—he’s not here for fans’ narratives.

It all started when a fan tweeted, “I think it’s time to admit Kevin Durant’s trajectory after leaving Golden State is very underwhelming.” There is some truth to that claim, as KD has not made it past the second round in the last six years. Even worse, he failed to lead the Suns to the playoffs this season. However, Durant seemingly does not see these outcomes as underwhelming, as he replied, “I highly disagree, wanna debate??”

Then, another netizen chimed in by questioning KD’s performance in the 2022 playoffs, when he got swept by the Celtics in the first round, “Were you satisfied with your performance against Boston in 2022?” The two-time champ responded, “Of course not, ima perfectionist, how u think I got so great?? Did u use those 4 games as a declaration of my talent?” However, he was immediately met with more criticism, as another fan called him a bus rider, “As Chuck would say you weren’t a bus driver, you were a passenger. You got carried to all the rings you have. You skilled but not good enough to be the bus driver.”

Of course, this was a reference to the comments Barkley made on Inside the NBA three years ago about KD’s two title victories in Golden State, “You guys always talk about that championship stuff. I try to tell y’all. All these bus riders, they don’t mean nothing to me. If you ain’t driving the bus, don’t walk around talking about you a champion. If you riding the bus, I don’t want to hear it. All these guys walking around with championship rings, y’all bus riders.” Per Chuck, Steph was the main guy on that championship squad, and not KD.

As the controversy struck again with the netizen’s comment, KD summoned his former teammate, “Ask 30, I stay with that 30 on me.” Although Durant did not name anyone, he was likely referring to Steph, who wears the number 30 jersey.

Of course, no one understands how vital KD was to the Warriors’ back-to-back titles more than Steph himself. While critics like Charles Barkley dubbed Durant a “bus rider,” KD walked away with Finals MVP honors both times—and on most nights, he was the best player on the court. But the difference, as many fans and analysts have pointed out, was what Steph’s presence allowed Durant to become. As Tyronn Lue once explained, “You got to remember in 2017 and 2018, we blitzed [Steph] still with Klay Thompson and Kevin Durant on the floor. That’s how dangerous I think he is.” In other words, Steph’s gravity pulled so much attention that it gave Durant the perfect environment to thrive—freeing him from the kind of defensive pressure Curry could never avoid.

During his first title run, he averaged a whopping 35.2 points and over eight rebounds in the Finals. A year later, he averaged a 28.8-point double-double. Meanwhile, Curry had slightly lesser numbers on both occasions. Now, it could be because the Cavs’ defense was more focused on guarding Steph as he was arguably the bigger threat, but the numbers were clearly in KD’s favor. Maybe, that’s why he has constantly spoken up against the ‘bus rider’ tag as he has two Finals MVP trophies to back his claim. Unfortunately, Durant’s latest trade buzz is not helping his case much.

Kevin Durant’s uncertain future likely to raise more questions about his NBA legacy

If Durant gets traded this summer, he will be joining his third team since leaving the Warriors. Surely, that will raise more questions about his legacy as the primary superstar. Especially because he found little to no playoff success in Brooklyn despite joining forces with James Harden and Kyrie Irving. Then, the situation did not get any better when he teamed up with Devin Booker and Bradley Beal in Phoenix.

While there were several unrelated issues that might have led to both teams’ constant playoff failure, Durant was unfortunately the common factor. Like it or not, that does not work in his favor. All the fans will remember is – Durant could not win another championship despite being on two super teams.

As of now, his next destination remains uncertain. Reports suggest that the Suns are looking to trade him before the upcoming draft later this month. Potential destinations include Miami, OKC, and Philadelphia. Hopefully, KD will finally land in a place where he can win another ring and silence his critics once and for all. Which team do you think gives him the best chance?