Kevin Durant talks about his legacy

The Oklahoma City  Thunder’s Kevin Durant is on the hot seat. He is one of a handful of players that has to win a ring sooner than later because he allegedly needs one to solidify his status.

We often discuss the upper-echelon of the NBA as legends before their time is even over.  Somewhere between the reigns of Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant our expectations for NBA superstars jumped to light speed and we have not looked back.

Of course the ultimate commodity in these winds of hype are NBA titles and when Durant’s Thunder took a step forward to make it to the finals only to lose to the Miami Heat, the buzzards begin to circle over his head to try and define how his career would stack up against the greats.

Durant told the Washington Post that he is not sweating the talk and he welcomes it because he like every single one of his supporters is ready for big things now.

“I’ve heard a few times, in three or four years, this league is going to be yours. . . . I don’t like that. Because I think I’m established now. My time is now,” Durant said. “I feel as though I’ve proved myself these last five years that I can be one of the top players in the league. I’ve got a long way to go to being the ultimate best, but I think my time is now. And I’m starting to enter my prime.”

As he enters his self-proclaimed prime, Durant has become an ambassador for the United States winning multiple titles abroad as part of Team USA’s basketball program.

This year at the London Olympic Games he was stellar and was proud to be a part of it all.

“I always felt that I belonged on top with those guys and I just have to continue to keep working to maintain that,” Durant said. “It feels good to be a part of a great group of guys, to do something special for the country. We all respected each other and they never looked at me as the younger guy coming up and waiting his turn. They were just, ‘Go out there and play, do what you do.’ And that’s what I did.”

Now that the goodwill mission is said and done, Durant’s focus is exclusively on Thunder business and how he can phase out those that try and set the standards for what his personal excellence shall be.

“I’m not going to let people define my career as a player thus far if I don’t win a championship,” he said. “They are going to say I’m a bust or I flopped or that I didn’t have a good career in the NBA because I didn’t win a championship in the time that they wanted me to do it? I’m just going to keep enjoying what I’m doing and hopefully I get there sooner than later.”

Until somebody stands up and shuts them down the Thunder are still the best that the West has to offer.

It will be a good time watching Durant lead his young and energetic squad against a seasoned Lakers group that seems to be coming to derail his championship dreams.