In a recent podcast episode, NBA legend O'Neal discussed whether Durant should be included in one of the best players of all time. "Durant thinks he deserves to be seen as one of the best players of all time, and I feel like he has his unique status, just like me," he humorously noted. I'm not one of the best players of all time, but I'm one of the two most dominant players in history. O'Neal steered the conversation to Durant's decision to join the Warriors, arguing that the move damaged his reputation. He quoted Ross Barkley's classic quote from The Dan Patrick Show, saying that Durant was more of a passenger than a driver with the Warriors.
Barkley once spoke outright about his opinion of Durant on the show, arguing that Durant must play the role of a driver on the team, not a passenger. He noted that when Durant was with the Warriors, the core of the team was Curry and not him. This point has been one of the main points of discussion on Barkley's many occasions, and he has also named James and Bill Russell as exemplars of driver-type players.
The remarks sparked a number of arguments between Durant and Barkley, and O'Neal has also supported Barkley's views on social media. In O'Neal's view, if Durant can lead the team to a championship like a "bus driver", then he is expected to enter the ranks of the best players of all time.