For years, basketball fans have argued about where Kevin Durant belongs among the NBA’s all-time greats. Is he top 10? Top 15? Somewhere in between? The debate has fueled countless hot-take segments, barbershop arguments, and Twitter wars.
Enter Stephen A. Smith – ESPN’s loudest, most passionate voice, a man who has never met a strong opinion he didn’t like.
So where does Stephen A. rank Kevin Durant on his all-time list? The answer is clear, emphatic, and has sparked its fair share of controversy.
Stephen A. Smith says: Kevin Durant is a top-10 player in NBA history. Period.
Not top 15. Not top 12. Top 10 .
THE CASE FOR TOP 10
1. The Scoring Argument: Top 3 All-Time
When Stephen A. makes his case for Durant, he doesn’t start with championships, MVPs, or Finals appearances. He starts with one thing: scoring.
“This is a top-three scorer in the history of basketball,” Smith declared on ESPN’s First Take .
That’s not hyperbole. That’s statistical reality wrapped in eye-test certainty.
Durant has never averaged fewer than 20 points per game in any season of his career. He has averaged over 25 points every single year except his rookie campaign . Even after tearing his Achilles in the 2019 NBA Finals – an injury that ends most careers – Durant returned and became more efficient, shooting over 50% from the field in every season since .
At 7 feet tall with a 7-foot-6 wingspan, Durant can handle the basketball like a guard, shoot over any defender, and finish at the rim with either hand. There has simply never been a scorer quite like him.
Smith put it bluntly when defending his ranking against critics:
“*Tell me 10 players in NBA history that were better than Kevin Durant. Just eyeball test. I’m talking about 7-feet tall, with a 7-6 wingspan that can handle the rock like that, that can shoot the rock like that, that can finish in the open court like that, that can be close to a 50-40-90 player consistently.*”
2. Talent vs. Résumé – The Great Debate
This is where the controversy begins.
When Stephen A. placed Durant in his top 10, it drew immediate criticism – most notably from former NFL defensive lineman and current sports personality Chris Canty.
“Somebody needs to drug test Stephen A. Smith with that take. Stay off the weed, Stephen A.,” Canty fired back on Unsportsmanlike. “*I’m going to use a word that you like: asinine. It’s asinine to say that KD is a top-10 player all-time.*”
The disagreement boils down to a fundamental philosophical divide:
Chris Canty looks at résumé: two championships (both with a super-team in Golden State), no titles without the Warriors, and a career that has been derailed at times by injuries and team instability.
Stephen A. Smith looks at talent: pure, unstoppable basketball ability. “I’m not talking resume, I’m talking talent,” Smith clarified .
This distinction matters. Stephen A. isn’t arguing that Durant has the career achievements of a top-10 player. He’s arguing that no one can name 10 players in NBA history who were better at basketball than Kevin Durant.
3. The 32,000-Point Milestone – Cementing the Legacy
In February 2026, Durant reached another historic milestone: 32,000 career points. That achievement prompted Stephen A. to reaffirm his stance .
Reaching 32,000 points places Durant in an exclusive club. Only a handful of players in NBA history have ever gotten there: LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, Wilt Chamberlain, and now Kevin Durant.
Smith used the moment to double down:
“We must正视 Kevin Durant. We can no longer hesitate and pretend like there are 10 players in NBA history who can score like him. I don’t believe there are that many players better than him.”
4. The Championship Question – Does It Even Matter?
Critics love to point out that Durant’s two championships came as a member of the Golden State Warriors – a team that had already won a title and set the regular-season wins record before he arrived. They argue that any top-10 player should be able to lead a team to a title as the man.
Stephen A. doesn’t buy it.
In his view, basketball is a team sport. Championships depend on roster construction, health, luck, and timing. What Durant can control – his individual brilliance – is undeniable. The fact that he returned from an Achilles tear in his 30s and played better than he did in his 20s is, to Smith, proof of an all-time great .
WHAT THIS MEANS FOR DURANT’S LEGACY
So where does Stephen A.’s ranking leave us?
It’s elite company. And whether you agree or disagree with Stephen A., his argument is consistent: Watch him play. Name 10 better. You can’t.
A RANKING THAT RESPECTS GREATNESS
Stephen A. Smith has never been shy about his opinions. His declaration that Kevin Durant is a top-10 player of all time is bold, sure to anger traditionalists who value résumés over raw ability.
But it’s also rooted in something real: the simple, undeniable truth that Kevin Durant is one of the most gifted basketball players who has ever lived.
At 7 feet tall, he moves like a guard. He shoots like a sniper. He scores from everywhere. And even after an injury that would have ended lesser careers, he came back better than ever.
Love him or hate him, Stephen A. Smith has made his stance crystal clear: Kevin Durant belongs on the NBA’s Mt. Rushmore of scorers and in the top 10 of all time.
And honestly? It’s hard to argue with a man who just says, “Watch the tape.”