Kevin Durant leaned against his reputation online when analysts compared him to Prime Shy Gilgus Alexander and other superstars.
Few franchises have had more incredible succession lines when it comes to superstars than the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Since moving from Seattle to Oklahoma City, the franchise has moved from Kevin Durant to Russell Westbrook, and now Silgus Alexander becomes Shire Alexander as the face of the team’s superstar.
GM Sam Presti made a shrewd move in the 2008 NBA Draft.
There was a lot of talk between Durant and Shy about who the best Thunder player ever was. Gilbert Arenas claimed that Shy will outperform Durant and Westbrook this year by winning the championship.
Much of Durant’s legacy is tied to the success he achieved with lightning at a very young age. Even if his championship success comes after he leaves OKC, Durant is one of the best players in franchise history.
However, the argument reached Kevin Durant’s X-Feed when one analyst took it a step further and questioned his legacy.
NBA analyst Raheem Palmer used the X to declare that Kevin Durant was the most overrated superstar in all sports in the last 25 years.
In response, Durant replied, asking whether responding to this claim to the contrary would further promote his reputation that he was sensitive.
Raheem Palmer: “There are over dozens of stars in the last 25 years when I take over Prime KD. He is literally the most overrated player of all sports in the last 25 years. Shaq, Kobe, Timmy, Wade, Lebron, Steph, Jokic, Giannis, Luka, Kawhi, Harden, SGA.”
Kevin Durant: “If you respond to this, is it considered sensitive?”
Obviously, Durant disagreed what Palmer had to say. However, considering he receives to get into online discussions when his talent is questioned, he chose a slightly ironic approach.
Palmer welcomed Durant to respond, but the superstar didn’t litigate any further issues.
Kevin Durant hasn’t made the merits of his talents a success, but it’s very powerful to suggest that he is the most overrated superstar in all sports.
Durant’s recent shortcomings should not be taken away from the amazing career he had. Slim Reaper has won two NBA championships, two final MVPs and regular season MVPs, and has won 15 All-Stars and 11 All-NBA selections in his legendary career.
Durant’s best individual season came in the 2013-14 season, when he won the MVP award. That season-long performance from him ranks there in some of the best individual seasons in the modern NBA.
To unravel that point, let’s compare Kevin Durant’s stats from his MVP season with Shygill Gas Alexander’s MVP season.
| Statistics Categories | Kevin Durant (2013-14) | Shy Gilgauss Alexander (2024-25) |
| Points for each game | 32.0 | 32.7 |
| Rebounds per game | 7.4 | 6.4 |
| Assistance for each game | 5.5 | 5.0 |
| Steel for each game | 1.3 | 1.7 |
| Blocks per game | 0.7 | 1.0 |
| Field goal rate | 50.3% | 51.9% |
| 3 points rate | 39.1% | 37.5% |
| Free throw rate | 87.3% | 89.8% |
| Team Records | 68-14 | 68-14 |
Looking at the numbers, their stars are roughly the same, and both players have at best a small advantage in a particular category. On top of that, their team had the same record in the regular season.
Shy’s similarity to Kevin Durant’s figures over the MVP season should not be used to reduce KD’s legacy. Rather, it is a sign of how elite Gill Alexander was this season.
The Sands star never tried to demolish the Shy or this lightning side. In fact, Durant chose Shy’s thunder side as his own, showing how much he respects what he accomplished this year.
Kevin Durant is far from the league’s most popular superstar, but he is by no means the NBA’s most overrated superstar. Considering what he accomplished in his career, Durant will be remembered as one of the great players in the game.