Kevin Durant Responds to Critics, Says Warriors Tenure Didn't Tarnish His NBA Legacy

Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant has gotten used to hearing criticisms about his career decisions, but he made it clear that he will be satisfied with how things played out when it's all said and done.

During an appearance on The Pivot, Durant was asked if he feels forming a super team with the Golden State Warriors tarnished his legacy, and he dismissed the notion.

"No, not at all," Durant said. "When I'm done playing, people are gonna respect the amount of years that I put in, and the actual accomplishments. When you reflect on my career and you realize when you look at the big picture, come on."

Durant signed with the Warriors as a free agent in the summer after they eliminated him and the Oklahoma City Thunder from the playoffs in the seven-game Western Conference Finals. He helped lead Golden State to three straight NBA Finals appearances and back-to-back NBA championships, the only titles of his career.

Despite his lack of postseason success since leaving the Warriors, Durant said he feels his legacy will be based on his longevity in the NBA as one of the most productive scorers the league has ever seen.

"You can't talk down on anything that a professional athlete who's been around for two decades, I don't care how many championships I win or didn't win, being around and playing professional sports, it's a small number of us to do that for that long," he said. "People are gonna respect that. Some people will nitpick, but they still are analyzing an amazing career, an amazing body of work, stuff that not a lot of people do on a day-to-day. So, they understand it."