Exclusive: Rick Barry Talks Kevin Durant’s Legacy and NBA Superteams

Two championship eras of the Golden State Warriors are connected through Basketball Hall of Famer Rick Barry and Kevin Durant. Decades apart, both players helped deliver championships to Golden State before later joining the Houston Rockets.

In an exclusive interview with Houston Rockets On SI, Barry discussed Durant’s unique greatness, the impact of superteams on NBA legacies, and the league’s next generation of stars. Our conversation has been edited for length, clarity, and grammar.

Eric Jay Santos: You got to watch Kevin Durant in closer detail during his time with the Golden State Warriors. What are your thoughts on him as a player?

Rick Barry: He’s what I call an anomaly. Guys who play their positions and are different from anybody who’s ever played them before. There was never a player who played the small forward position like Kevin Durant, at his size and with his skill level. It’s pretty amazing.

Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry — February 16, 2025; San Francisco, CA, USA; Shaq’s OGs guard Stephen Curry (30) of the Golden State Warriors and forward Kevin Durant (35) of the Phoenix Suns look on in the game against Chuck’s Global Stars during the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Eric Jay Santos: Durant won his two championships with the Warriors, and LeBron James has a strong chance to win another championship after joining the Philadelphia 76ers. Many people would describe these situations as examples of superteams. Do you think winning a championship as part of a superteam tarnishes or adds to a player’s legacy?

Rick Barry: It has nothing to do with their legacy. That’s what the goal is when you’re a professional athlete: to be a champion. At least in my mind, it is. So I had no problem when Durant came to the Warriors.

I’m still trying to figure out why he left the Warriors when he had a chance to be on a team that could have won more championships and become one of those amazing dynasties. But that’s up to the individual. Everybody has to do what’s right for them.

He became a better all-around player with his experience with the Warriors. The rest of his career is kind of lacking when it comes to being a champion. He loves the game and is an amazing player, but he just hasn't made the right choices in picking teams that are going to give him a real shot at winning a championship.

That’s why I have no problem even with LeBron. LeBron made his choices for a number of reasons, and everybody says he’s ring chasing. So what? Good for him. How do you get mad at somebody for wanting to accomplish the ultimate goal?

In the real world, if you had a chance to go someplace to improve your life for yourself and your family, what is wrong with doing that? That’s the beauty of America. You have a chance to do that.

Eric Jay Santos: James and Stephen Curry are still the NBA’s most popular stars, but they are at the later stages of their playing careers. Looking toward the next generation of talent, does anybody stick out as a future face of the league?

Rick Barry: I don’t know if there’s anybody who would jump out as being in the same league as those two guys. There are some really outstanding players, and it’ll be interesting to see what some of these young players do, but there’s nobody where I’m saying, ‘Oh wow, this guy!’

When I saw Kevin Durant playing in a college game, I was sitting with Jerry West, God rest his soul. I turned to him and said, ‘Oh my God. Jerry, this kid’s going to be unbelievable.’ And he said, ‘Yeah, he sure as hell is.’

Durant is an anomaly. I’ve never seen anybody play like him at that position. The most recent comparison is Victor Wembanyama. There’s never been a guy his size who can do the things that he can do. But has he been utilized as efficiently and effectively as he should be? No, I don’t think so.

You don’t have a seven-foot-four guy with his kind of skills playing that far away from the basket. That’s insane. He should be down on the freaking low blocks. If I were him, I’d call Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and spend the summer working with him to learn the sky hook.

Eric Jay Santos: What about the players struggling at the free throw line?

Rick Barry: I’m waiting for the first owner, general manager, and coach who has enough guts to tell a player on his team who sucks at the free throw line that you have to learn to shoot underhanded free throws.

Not because I shot underhanded, but because it’s proven scientifically to be the most efficient way to shoot a free throw.

How should a player be able to tell his boss, ‘No, I’m not going to do what you want me to do to help make the team more successful’?

He should have to do it. He’s an employee. You’re just getting paid millions of dollars. You’re going to tell your boss that you’re not going to do something to help the team be better?

Apr 21, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) is defended by Los Angeles Lakers center Deandre Ayton (5) as he drives to the basket during the second half of game two of the first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Eric Jay Santos: With Durant leading the Rockets in scoring, two-time All-Star Alperen Sengun continuing to make an impact, and Amen Thompson on the rise, what do you think about Houston’s championship ceiling?

Rick Barry: They certainly have some talent there. Whether they get the right mix of talent, it's more than just your starting five. You have to have a bench that can play. You don’t win with just five good players.

That was the Warriors. They had veteran players who were willing to come in and accept different roles. Guys like David Lee and Andre Iguodala, All-Star-level players who came off the bench and helped solidify that team.

So the Rockets have to find the right people and the right mix. They have top talent, but they need enough ancillary players who can fill in, commit defensively, and accept the roles assigned to them by the coach. That all remains to be seen.

The same thing with Philly. They have an incredibly talented team now, but the question is: Are they going to have chemistry? Are they going to play together? Are they going to make the defensive commitment? Is the bench going to be a factor?

There are a lot of unknowns. That’s what makes it interesting to watch, seeing how it all plays out.

Add us as a preferred source on Google