“Never the Next Anybody”: Raving About ‘Special’ Kevin Durant, Nuggets HC Reveals First Impressions of Suns Star Before Turning Rivals

There is no doubt that Kevin Durant is one of the greatest in the NBA. What makes him even more special is the fact that there is no one else like KD in the league. Nor can he be compared to any past players, legend or otherwise. Long-time coach of the man in question, and currently the Nuggets’ head coach, Michael Malone, is of the same opinion.

Talking to the media ahead of the Suns vs Nuggets game, Coach Malone was all praises for the 2x NBA champion.

Malone gives Kevin Durant his flowers ahead of Suns vs Nuggets

He said, “He hasn’t tried to be anybody other than Kevin Durant … never the next anybody. He was the first Kevin Durant.” 

As a player and as a person, KD reflects traits that are not easily seen in many. But mostly it’s the Slim Reaper’s silent attacks that leave the opponents in the dust. As Malone points out, when young players join the league, everybody waits for the opportunity to call them the next ‘Jordan’ or ‘LeBron‘ or the other legendary players.

But in the case of KD, there wasn’t anyone to compare him with. He was Kevin Durant, the “first”. He has carved a quiet niche for himself in the NBA. While there might be other players who could be the next KD, that is never happening with the man himself.

And this can be seen when taking a trip back to his rookie days in the then-Seattle SuperSonics.

KD’s Seattle Chronicles

Malone wasn’t exaggerating his account of the rookie Durant during his Seattle days. Drafted as the second overall pick in 2007, his first regular season set the stage for several distinguished firsts. The end of the 2007-08 season saw him join Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James as the only teenagers to average atleast 20 points per game for the entirety of a season.

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By 2009-10, KD had surpassed all expectations and become the youngest NBA scoring champion, averaging 30.1 points per game. Fast forward to the 2012-13 season and he once again makes history as the youngest (24 years) to join the 50-40-90 club. The only other player to do so was Mark Price in the 1988-89 season.

The next was his MVP season (2013-14). April saw Durant surpass Jordan‘s record for consecutive games scoring 25 points or more at 41. His team finished that year with 59 wins and the Slim Reaper was awarded the NBA MVP. These staggering achievements were more than enough for him to catch every team’s attention.

And now, he’s got youngsters and other rookies trying to copy his gameplay or looking to him for inspiration. He has well and truly come far from his very humble beginnings.

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