Change! Durant's move to a new team this time won't involve teaming up with another superstar, and his historical status may be rewritten?

Recently, CBS columnist Brad Botkin expressed his views on Durant's signing with the Rockets. He believes that what makes this team change different is the absence of a superstar partner, which might lead to a redefinition of Durant's historical status. Here are some of Botkin's thoughts—

this is the latest chapter in Durant's quest for another championship! At first glance, this is indeed true. Durant is one of the iconic figures of the NBA's "mercenary era." Since leaving Oklahoma City, he seems to have never truly established a sense of belonging with any team. He has played a few seasons with a team like a rented superstar, only to jump to the next one when the championship window closes.

He is not the only one doing this; however, he is the second-best player after LeBron—who is almost the architect of the superteam model—while Durant has attempted to replicate this model in Golden State, Brooklyn, and Phoenix. The difference is that LeBron won championships with all three teams, whereas Durant, after leaving the Warriors, faced significant defeats on the championship path, even though it wasn’t solely due to personal reasons.

Of course, he did win two championships with the Warriors, but in public opinion, many people even view those achievements as his "stains." Joining the 73-win Warriors, who had just eliminated his Thunder team in 2016, is Durant's "original sin," and many have forever changed their perception of him because of it.

Durant can be said to not care what others think, and perhaps he truly doesn’t. He shouldn’t care because he is one of the greatest players in history, and the failures in Brooklyn and Phoenix should not be blamed on him—unless "high salary leading to lack of team depth" becomes the accusation against all superstars. The chaos in the Nets stemmed from Irving and Harden's injury at a critical moment, plain and simple. Durant has excelled at every stop.

But Durant is human; he is extremely proud and competitive. If you think there isn’t a hint of wanting to prove he can win without Curry in his basketball mindset, then frankly, you’re mistaken. From this perspective, the Rockets offer all the necessary elements for him to potentially rewrite—or at least significantly alter—his so-called "historical status."

1. He is no longer joining a team with superstars

This is crucial. In Golden State, he stepped into a dynasty built by Curry; in Brooklyn, he teamed up with Irving and later welcomed Harden; in Phoenix, he partnered with Booker and later had Beal join. But in Houston, he is the only superstar. Therefore, if the Rockets win the championship—in an era of the most competitive and balanced landscape in NBA history—he will receive the majority of public recognition.

2. The Rockets are ready to take off

Although there were no superstars in the lineup before Durant's arrival, the Rockets are overflowing with talent: first, there's the All-Star Sengun, and then there's Amen Thompson, who might already be the best defender in the league outside of Wembanyama. The team has a top-tier coach, excellent defense, and now a top scorer.

To win a championship, one must join a team capable of contending, but it cannot be a team that already had championship potential before your arrival—this is the root of the damage to Durant's historical status.

By joining the Rockets, Durant is coming to a team that was eliminated in the first round but is on the brink of rising. As an historically great isolation player, he can fill the offensive void for the Rockets: last season, the Rockets ranked 9th in isolation frequency but only 27th in points per possession. This is the perfect script for rewriting his historical status.

3. He stays in the West

This is a subtle key point for Durant to elevate his historical standing. If he went to the East, those who would never let him off the hook would have an easy excuse to continue criticizing him for "taking shortcuts." But in the West, he remains in a "devilish conference."

Any top player, regardless of the team environment, will see their historical status significantly enhanced if they can win a championship in the West. Even LeBron, who is already locked into GOAT discussions, would elevate his status further by breaking through from the West. If Durant achieves this, even those who have criticized him since he joined the Warriors will have to acknowledge that he is not only a historically great player but also the undisputed core of a championship team.

Of course, all of this is merely speculation. Durant is a historically great superstar. From a competitive standpoint, I disliked his decision to join the Warriors back then, but he has always claimed that decision was not made to "secure a championship," but to seize a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity—to grow through a completely different basketball experience.

He made that decision at the age of 27. We forget that these players are human too—how many 27-year-olds with endless wealth and resources would refuse the chance to try new things and live in a new city? For those with little choice in life, change can be daunting, but when the real risks of life are removed, and each new place feels like attending a new party? Come on, let's be honest, who among us didn't stir things up in our 20s?

So let’s drop the pretenses. Durant has always been great and will continue to be great with the Rockets. There’s an added bonus: if he truly cares about what ordinary fans think, this is a fantastic opportunity to change their minds—and this could be the last stop of his legendary career.