How Many Rings Does Kevin Durant Have After 15 Incredible Seasons?
Although most NBA fans don’t have to ask themselves, “How many rings does Kevin Durant have?”, some casual sports fans may be unfamiliar with his championship journey. Since he arrived in the NBA in 2007, Kevin Durant has consistently been one of the best offensive players in the league. Primarily playing the small forward position for most of his career at a 6’10” frame, Durant possesses a deadly accurate jump shot that is nearly impossible to defend.
His quick first step and overall athleticism make him equally adept at getting to the basket in the half-court setting and transition. He has been named to the All-NBA 1st Team 6 times, has made 12 all-star teams, and also was the 2013-2014 NBA MVP. While Kevin Durant would have been named to the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame based on his incredible offensive statistics alone, his championship pedigree helped to elevate him to the highest levels of NBA greatness reserved for only the legends of the sport.
The Early Years – Oklahoma City Thunder (2007-2008 to 2015-2016)
Durant was originally drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 2nd overall pick of the 2007 NBA Draft. The team then relocated to Oklahoma City the following year, a small market that few people thought would have much success. However, general manager Sam Presti was able to build an impressive core of young talent around Durant, including Russell Westbrook, James Harden, Jeff Green, and Serge Ibaka.
The Thunder would eventually make a run to the 2012 NBA Finals, before losing to the Miami Heat in 5 games. Many analysts predicted that Oklahoma City would be the reigning power in the West Conference for the next decade.
However, in a move that would foreshadow the small market struggles that would contribute to Durant eventually leaving the team, the Thunder would trade Harden to the Houston Rockets. The franchise knew they wouldn’t be able to pay Durant, Westbrook, and Harden all max money, so they decided to trade Harden for as many good, cheaper pieces as possible. Unfortunately, only 1 of the 5 players that eventually joined the Thunder as a result of the trade, Steven Adams, would end up making significant long-term contributions to the team.
Despite losing Harden, the Thunder still possessed a tremendous team led by Durant and Westbrook, that would go 119-45 in the 2 seasons after the Harden trade. However, they repeatedly came up short in the playoffs, and simply could not overtake the best teams in the Western Conference, including the emerging Golden State Warriors.
The closest Durant and the Thunder would ever get to the finals again was in Durant’s final season with the Thunder during the 2016 playoffs. Oklahoma City would take a 3-1 series lead over the Golden State Warriors but would lose the next 3 games of the series, allowing the Warriors to make their 2nd straight finals appearance.
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Durant’s 2016 Offseason
Durant entered the 2016 offseason as one of the biggest free agents in NBA history, with the potential to completely alter the balance of power in the NBA for years to come. With only Lebron James’ free agency in 2010 surpassing it in importance in NBA history, Durant’s 2016 free agency became the number 1 sports story for the summer of 2016.
All told, he ended up meeting with 6 teams, the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant ultimately shocked the basketball world by signing with the Golden State Warriors, who had won an NBA record 73 regular season games the year before. Considering his decision, Durant was probably asking himself, “How many rings does Kevin Durant have?”, realizing that Golden State was the best spot for him to compete for a title.
Kevin Durant Rings
Championship Run with Golden State (2016-2017 to 2018-2019)
As soon as he signed with Golden State, Durant was relentlessly attacked by fans, analysts, and members of the media for joining a great Warriors team. Many thought that he should have been loyal to the Oklahoma City Thunder, the team that drafted him. Even those who understood Durant leaving Oklahoma City due to its financial constraints and liabilities as a small market organization could not stomach him going to the Warriors, preferring him to join a good team, not a great team.
Though this intense criticism was a hard pill to swallow, Durant probably kept asking himself, “How many rings does Kevin Durant have?”, remembering that his ultimate goal was to win an NBA championship.
How old was KD when he won his first ring?
Kevin Durant was 28 years old when he won his first championship with the Golden State Warriors in 2017. Durant was the same age as Michael Jordan and Shaquille O’Neal when they won their first respective titles. The 2016-2017 Warriors team is widely considered to be one of the best teams in NBA history, on par with teams like the 95-96 Bulls, 85-86 Celtics, and 71-72 Lakers.
The Warriors went 67-15 in the regular season and 16-1 in the playoffs, defeating Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals. Durant himself was named the 2017 NBA Finals MVP after dominating throughout the five game series.
KD ring count: How many rings does Durant have?
Kevin Durant currently has 2 rings, winning 2 championships with the Golden State Warriors in back-to-back seasons in 2016-2017 and 2017-2018. While the 2016-2017 season was a dominant run from start to finish, the 2017-2018 title run presented more difficulties. The team won 9 fewer games in the regular season, and their 58-24 mark was surpassed by the Houston Rockets in the Western Conference, who would get the #1 seed.
The Warriors would meet the Rockets in the Western Conference Finals, eventually winning a grueling 7-game series. The Warriors had an easier time in the NBA Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the 4th year in a row the team met in the finals, this time sweeping them. Durant was again named the NBA Finals MVP for his incredible offensive exploits during the championship series.
How many rings did Curry and KD win together?
Kevin Durant and Steph Curry won two titles together, both playing major roles in the 2016-2017 and 2017-2018 championship seasons. Many wondered how the two superstars would function together, but Curry and Durant surpassed expectations, seamlessly functioning together as co-superstars. Both would average roughly the same PPG averages during their first 2 seasons, although Durant would often get the biggest shots in crunch time.
Who did KD win rings with?
Both of Durant’s rings have come exclusively with the Golden State Warriors. At this point, it doesn’t appear that he will win another title anytime soon, as injuries to Durant and his teammates on the Brooklyn Nets and overall dysfunction have severely hampered the team’s performance. The struggles of the Nets have led many to speculate that Durant himself was considering a return to the Warriors.
How many finals appearances does KD have?
Although he has two rings, Durant has 3 total NBA Finals appearances, all with the Golden State Warriors. His 3rd finals appearance occurred during the 2019 NBA Finals, where he only ended up playing in 1 game due to a calf injury. After missing the first 4 games of the NBA Finals, Durant started in game 5 but tore his Achilles Tendon in the 2nd quarter ending his season, and the Warriors’ title hopes that year.
Durant’s rings are a huge area of scrutiny, criticism and critique
Kevin Durant is one of the best players in NBA history, possessing an unstoppable offensive arsenal that has dominated the league for the last decade and a half. Few NBA fans ever need to ask themselves, “How many rings does Kevin Durant have?”, as Durant’s 2 championships have been a huge area of scrutiny by many fans and analysts.
While Durant is one of the most critiqued and criticized players in the NBA, his championship legacy is ultimately set in stone by his 2 NBA Finals MVPs, which have established him as the best player of those Warriors championship teams.