Kevin Durant: The Kid Who Needs Love

When the best player in the NBA is being discussed, most fans either have a picture of  Lebron, Kobe, Wade or to a farther extent, Carmelo Anthony  popping in their heads immediately. They seem to forget about one of the better players in the league: Kevin Durant.

When Durant was selected 2nd overall in the 2007 draft, many thought he would be a solid NBA all-star throughout his career. Although Durant prematurely surpassed his expectations, he still is'nt getting loved enough to put him in the same category as Lebron and Kobe.

Durant's level of play is good enough to classify him in the top 3 players in the league category. Not only is he averaging close to 30 points a game, but he is shooting lights out consistently. His 48% from the field is superior to Kobe's shooting from the floor and his 38% beyond the arc surpasses many perimeter superstars such as Wade, Melo and Lebron. In addition he is also averaging slightly more than 7 rebounds a game.

What makes Wade, Kobe and Lebron so special that people discriminate Durant? Kobe's achievements are undeniable. Lebron and Wade on the other hand, are considered statistically better by these analysts since they have more assists per game. It isn't a big surprise since the reigning MVP and the Heat's superstar are the main ballhandlers of their respective team.

Lebron at 21, was already crowned as the "King". He led his team to a respectable 50-32 record in a mediocre conference. Furthermore, he was also getting compared to Michael Jordan. He also finished second in MVP voting in 2006. Durant on the other hand, is carrying his young team on his back and is currently ranked #3 (behind Dwight Howard and James)in the NBA.com MVP race . Now if Durant was as popular is Lebron, and vice-versa, his name would be reserved for the #1 spot.

Had Durant played in a big city, he would get more attention. If Kobe played with the San Antonio Spurs with the same achievements, his attention in the media would've been cut into half. On the other hand, if Tim Duncan played for Lakers, he would get more love. Cleveland is a small city, but Lebron was getting media attention since he was 15. Carmelo Anthony is still known for being one of the pioneers in the 2003 draft. Wade is known for his finals MVP, although he hasn't reached the second round of the playoffs ever since.

Writers and analysts should take a serious look at Durant instead of discriminating him for the city he plays, his age, his marketing value and the lack of accomplishments.