“At 100 Percent, He’s the Best Scorer of All-Time”: Brooklyn Nets Teammate Lauds Kevin Durant

Ever since Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving signed for the Brooklyn Nets, fans are eager to watch them play together. Durant is no stranger to playing with elite point guards. He paired up with Russell Westbrook at the Thunder and Steph Curry at the Warriors, both going on to win MVPs. At the Nets, he also has Spencer Dinwiddie, who’s emerging as a reliable asset.

Though Kyrie missed some games due to injury, he stepped up big time. In a stretch of 26 games, he averaged 24.8 points and 7.2 assists, which are All-Star numbers. They were on a 12-6 run with him leading their unit.

While speaking to ESPN’s First Take, Dinwiddie was asked about the status of Durant’s return and what one can expect from him when he returns. “That’s the billion-dollar question right,” was his reply to a potential playoff return for Durant. Regarding his expectations after returning, Dinwiddie said, “At 80 percent, he’s Dirk Nowitzki. At 100 percent, he’s the best scorer of all time.”

Is Kevin Durant the greatest scorer of all time?

Dinwiddie’s statement raised several eyebrows. But one cannot ignore the teammate bias here. There is no doubt about Durant’s ability to score. However, putting him as the greatest scorer is insulting to Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant.

Jordan might be fourth on all-time points leaders, but he stands at #1 for career points per game. He has won a record-breaking 10 scoring titles, out of which seven were consecutive. Apart from Wilt Chamberlain, he’s the only one to put up 3000 points in a single season.

Nobody shot mid-ranges better than Michael Jordan. He was also efficient from the free-throw line and could drive to the paint easily. It took him some time, but he even overcame the Jordan Rules, set by the Bad Boy Pistons, specifically to stop him.

Recently, Scottie Pippen praised Kobe Bryant and likened him to a better version of Michael Jordan. “He strived so hard to be Michael Jordan. And when I go back and look at his videos, I say to myself, damn, he was better than Michael Jordan.” This may have been an emotional response, but one cannot deny Kobe’s ability on the court. Putting up 81 points, the best scoring performance since Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points, is something Jordan or any other modern player never came close to. His 62 points in three quarters while outscoring the Mavs is one of the most impressive scoring displays.

Kevin Durant has four scoring titles to his name and is probably the best scorer in the league right now. But he’s still a considerable distance away from being the best scorer of all time.