How Much Pressure is on Kevin Durant to Win Title With Suns?

Kevin Durant is certainly one of the best players to ever play in the NBA but a championship with the Phoenix Suns would complete his legacy.

All the pressure is on Kevin Durant to deliver a championship after being traded to the Phoenix Suns.

No one made that more clear than Gilbert Arenas on Fubo Sports’ “No Chill with Gilbert Arenas” when he said “They were having trouble scheming just for Devin Booker himself. Now you just added arguably the best scorer in today’s game right now. … Then you have —who can argue — the best assist-to-turnover ratio guard in NBA history in Chris Paul… this would be the biggest failure for Kevin Durant.”

Arenas is right: Durant’s legacy is on the line for however long he's win Phoenix. 

With the Oklahoma City Thunder, there was certainly some pressure but they were a newly established organization just happy to have a talent like Durant representing their city. 

When Durant joined the Golden State Warriors, there was not as much pressure since the Warriors already won a title in 2015. Nobody blames Durant for the failures with the Brooklyn Nets, as drama mostly revolved around Kyrie Irving as well as injuries putting a huge dent into the Nets' championship window.

In Phoenix there are no more excuses. The Suns have been close to winning a title but have needed another superstar player that could take them over the top. That is Durant. The Western Conference is as wide open as it ever has been and Phoenix needs to capitalize.

If Durant wants to prove that he is indeed the best basketball player in the world, that argument could open and close with winning a championship in Phoenix. Fans have criticized Durant for years about how he is unable to win an NBA title on his own, joining forces with a guy like Steph Curry to do so. 

This is his chance to put that argument to bed once and for all.

Right now, Durant is considered to be one of the most lethal offensive players the NBA has ever seen, but is not quite up there all time with the Michael Jordan’s and LeBron James's of the world due to his lack of championships compared to the aforementioned greats. Title No. 3 with the Suns would close the gap that much closer.

The Suns have fielded spectacular teams through their storied history but have yet to bring home the Larry O'Brien trophy. Durant leading a championship charge in Phoenix would help paint him as a savior of the city and potentially the best player to ever put on a Suns uniform.