Surpassing Lao James and becoming the first person in NBA history: KD recognizes three major realities!

Breaking news came from a well-known ESPN reporter. Rockets forward and NBA superstar Kevin Durant reached a two-year contract extension of US$90 million with the team. Counting previous contracts, Durant's total career salary reached US$598.2 million, officially surpassing James (US$582.39 million) and becoming the first person in NBA history! Originally, Durant had the opportunity to sign a two-year maximum salary contract of US$120 million with the Rockets. This time he chose to cut his salary by US$30 million. Durant has recognized four major realities from both the team's perspective and his own perspective!

Reality 1: If you want to break the "Green Formula" and change the reputation, there is no other way but to win the championship!

So far, KD is full of honors, including 2 championships + 2 FMVPs + 1 MVP + 4 scoring titles + 6 All-NBA First Team appearances. This report card is top-notch for any player, but these results are full of controversy for Durant. The main reason is that in 2016, Durant joined the Warriors, who had just defeated him in the Western Conference Finals, and was infamous for surrendering to the enemy. During the Yuan Dynasty period, he helped the team reach the finals for three consecutive years, won the championship trophy twice and won the FMVP trophy, but we all know whose team this Warriors belongs to. Following Green's words, "We were champions before you came here," the two parties parted ways. Durant, who joined the Nets and Suns, was trying their best to win the championship, because they understood that in order to tear off the "enemies" label, they had to win the championship as someone other than a Warriors player. Before the trade deadline last season, the Warriors really wanted to bring back Durant but he refused. He knew that he could not go back no matter what, even if he could win the championship. In this profit-oriented league, Durant's choice to significantly reduce his salary has only one purpose, and that is to help the team build a championship lineup as much as possible!

Reality 2: The number of stars + the depth of the lineup are the basis for winning the championship today!

Since the Heat's Big Three began to unite at their peak in 2010, any team that wants to win the championship needs multiple All-Star players. The era of single-core leadership is gone forever. After 15 seasons, today's league not only needs stars to gather together, but also role players to stick together. Today's league's rotation of 9-10 players with immediate combat capabilities has become the standard for strong teams. Last season's Thunder and Pacers were successful representatives of this model. The Nuggets and Knicks are typical examples of strong main players and weak substitutes, and they all fell short in the end. Bringing it back to today's Rockets, all their contract extensions and signing negotiations this offseason adhere to this idea, not only the stars but also the depth of the lineup, and the premise of all this is money. To form such a lineup, the team's core players must take the lead in making sacrifices in terms of salary. Therefore, VanVleet's two-year 50 million, Durant's two-year 90 million renewal contract with a significant salary reduction. The young Rockets have retained Shen Jing and Smith, and they still have enough space to renew the contracts of Ethan and Amen!

Reality 3: There is no team more suitable for you than the Rockets!

Judging from the experience of the Nets and Suns, Durant must have understood that if he wants to win the championship, it is not enough to rely solely on the lineup. Another major factor is that the team system must suit his style of play. The current Rockets are the best destination for Durant. The league can no longer find a team more suitable for Durant than the Rockets! The four young players Amen, Shen Jing, Ethan, and Smith performed outstandingly last season and were eventually retained by the team as future assets this offseason. The team's main shortcoming last season was the offensive end. The lack of stable scoring points in positional battles was the number one reason why they were blacklisted by the Warriors. Last season in the regular season, the Rockets' defensive efficiency of 110.8 ranked sixth in the league, and their offensive efficiency of 115.3 ranked only 13th in the league. Young players are hardworking, and their ability to switch defenses and pressure opponents with unlimited defensive end is top-notch in the league. Durant has never been on a team with such excellent defensive resources before.

Durant was surrounded by Westbrook and Harden during the Thunder period, Curry and Klay during the Warriors period, Harden and Irving during the Nets period, and Booker and Beal during the Suns period. Each time he had two top stars around him to share the finishing rights, neither of them maximized Durant's scoring ability. None of today's Rockets teammates have players of this level. In the new season, Durant can enjoy unlimited firing rights as he pleases. There is a group of people to help him on the defensive end, and no one competes with him on the offensive end. This is the most ideal environment for Durant. The only hidden danger is that Durant is not young anymore. Whether he can withstand the test of a long season is worth noting. In short, Durant's salary reduction and contract extension are the best choice for the team and himself at this stage. So where do you think the Rockets can go in the new season? Welcome to leave a message for discussion!