Clyde takes shot at KD
Walt Frazier believes Kevin Durant severely damaged his legacy by taking the easy road with the Warriors, even saying the Finals MVP’s accomplishments deserve an “asterisk.”
“Durant, as great a player he is, I would still hold back (giving him credit) because he joined a team that really didn’t need him,” the Knicks legend told SiriusXM NBA Radio on Tuesday. “He’s right there with LeBron, probably would’ve surpassed LeBron as the best player in the game soon, but for him doing that I still don’t give him the full credit that he probably would’ve deserved if he stayed in OKC and won a title with that team.”
Asked where Durant will land on his rankings, Frazier said, “He’s going to be down the list for me because of that. There will be an asterisk next to his name.”
Frazier, 73, is one of three greatest players in Knicks history and works for the team as the top color commentator on MSG. The Knicks are targeting Durant in 2019 free agency, along with other stars like Kyrie Irving.
“You never know what guys are thinking today,” Frazier said. “It’s not something I would’ve done, I would’ve never joined West or Chamberlain. I wanted to kick their butts. But today’s players, they have this camaraderie. They want to play together. (Carmelo Anthony) going to Houston with Chris Paul. They’ve had that going on a long time that they wanted to be teammates. So it’s a possibility these guys might get together and come to New York or whatever.
“It’s all rumors,” Frazier added. “The reality is without (Kristaps Porzingis) we’re going nowhere. He’s the future. So the worst thing that could’ve happened to the Knicks, did happen.”
Frazier was also asked about the possibility of the Knicks retiring Carmelo Anthony’s jersey. He indicated that’d be contradictory and Anthony would have to skip the line.
“Probably not because he didn’t win a title,” Frazier said. “I’m surprised they didn’t put Allan Houston up there. I’m surprised Bernard King, who is in the Hall of Fame, they haven’t put Bernard up there. So those two guys I think are deserving. Perhaps maybe John Starks. Even the Oak Man, Charles Oakley, but that probably won’t happen with all the stuff he’s done at the Garden. So he’s not held in high esteem right now but I don’t see them putting Melo in there because of that.”