I first had the thought after he won the scoring title. Then, I became more convinced during his 1st-round playoff series against Kobe and the Lakers earlier this year (with a special shout-out to the first glimmer of the emergence of Russel Westbrook). Now, of course, with a World Championship gold medal draped around his neck, I'm all but certain: Kevin Durant will surpass LeBron as the top player in the NBA this season.
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| It's all UP from here... |
Let's face it... Kobe, while still around the top of the heap, is past his prime. Yes, he may win another NBA championship or two over the next couple of years, but he'll no longer be the hottest ticket in the league. Put it this way: Swap Kobe for Durant, and do you go see the OKC Thunder when they come to town just because he's on the team? But, do you go because Durant is? I thought so.
And of course, there's the LeBron factor. He's undeniably been the top performer in basketball over the last few seasons, not to mention the MVP. He'll continue to be the most broadly skillful player on the court. He's got an array of talents that Durant can't touch, and perhaps nobody has touched since Wilt. But here's the thing: Durant is now the best scorer in the league. Period. And people love scoring.
Factor in the HEAT/HATE factor, the pre-2010 Tiger Woods public image, the youth, and the up-and-coming team, and you have the beginning of the KD era.
Long live the Durantula. All we have to do now is find a new nickname.
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