The Legend of Kevin Durant

Quick. Who is the most underrated person in sports.

Is it an Olympian like Ryan Miller? Leading his country in Vancouver while playing superb hockey in Buffalo for the Sabres.

A good candidate, but Miller is widely regarded as one of the best players in the NHL already.

Is it Drew Brees? Super Bowl champion who has put up staggering numbers the past few seasons and is only now receiving the praise he deserves?

A great choice, but his appearances on Letterman and Ellen have turned him into a crossover star, no longer underrated.

Is it an anonymous potential Hall of Famer like Hanley Ramirez. Bonus points if you actually know the sport, team and position.

Maybe, but I'm not Tim Kurkjan.

No, the most underrated player in sports just finished one of the best runs his sport has ever seen. He's transformed himself into a Top 5 player in his league almost overnight. In fact, he's a leading candidate for MVP - and yet, nobody truly appreciates what he is doing, or what he might be capable of doing.

His name is Kevin Durant.

Last night his streak of 29 straight games of 25 points or more ended in San Antonio. It was another decade the last time Durant scored less than 25 points. It was the longest such streak since '86-'87 and some guy named Jordan. He only scored 21, but also had 12 rebounds, 3 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks in a Thunder defeat.

The thing about Durant is that he's not a superstar, although he belongs in that category. The debate about the best player in the league constantly revolves around Kobe v LeBron, LeBron v Kobe. Kevin Durant only gets a conciliatory mention when speaking of MVP candidates or the best players in the league. Yet, these numbers don't lie. As a 6'9" 2 Guard, Durant is scary good. He is tied for the league lead in scoring at 29.8 PPG as a 47.9% shooter, 38.1% 3PT shooter, and 88.2% foul shooter. He shoots a better percentage across the board than Bryant, Anthony, or Wade. Only LeBron James shoots a better % than Durant from the field. The only statistical area where Durant lags behind is his 2.9 APG. Here's the major difference though between Durant and the other top players in the league though...

Kevin Durant is 21 years old and playing his 3rd year of pro ball!!!!

Durant is averaging almost 10 more PPG than Kobe Bryant in his 3rd year. LeBron James and Michael Jordan both averaged more than 30 PPG in their 3rd years, but they shot the ball much more than Durant. Jordan averaged 37.1 PPG on almost 28 shots per game while LeBron averaged 31.4 PPG on 23 shots per game. Durant's efficiency is insane. He's T1 in the league in scoring while only averaging just over 20 shots per game (James has a similar efficiency this season). While Durant lacks James' passing ability, don't you think Cleveland fans would like a little more consistency from the King's perimeter game? And, at 21 years of age, it's only going to get better from here for Durantula (I kinda like the nickname). Durant is just scraping the surface on what he is capable of doing. In his third year, he's still learning how to harness his incredible tools. His size, athleticism, and shooting ability makes him a basketball freak.

Durant is also the unquestioned #1 on a young OKC Thunder team that has far surpassed expectations. The Thunder are 10 games above .500 in the extremely tough Western Conference and Durant has his team above the likes of San Antonio, Portland, New Orleans, and Houston. (Is it a bad time to bring up that Portland passed on Durant for an injured big man now best known for having his junk seen by millions?) Durant doesn't have the all-around game that LeBron James does, and probably never will. But, we are watching the best scorer of a generation blossom before our very eyes - do we notice, or do we even care?

He doesn't have the glitz and glamour of the Lakers, the billboards and marketing bonanza of James, or the championship history of Wade. Durant isn't a vocal guy; he doesn't strike you as someone who is in a rush to get his name into the lights. Thankfully, he's not Tim Duncan either. But pay close attention to one of the best things going in sports right now. Over the next few years, Durant has the ability and potential to be one of the best basketball players who has ever lived. One day you will want to tell your grandkids that you were there to watch the legend of Kevin Durant from the beginning.