"He wouldn't be the same player he is today" - Pippen doubts KD would be the same elite scorer if he played in the 80s/90s

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"He wouldn't be the same player he is today" - Pippen doubts KD would be the same elite scorer if he played in the 80s/90s originally appeared on Basketball Network.
Kevin Durant's scoring resume is about as complete as they come — he is a four-time scoring champion and a two-time NBA champion. His offensive repertoire has long stood at the intersection of size, touch and creativity.
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But despite all the accolades and countless buckets, people still debate how Durant's game would translate across eras, with one of basketball's most decorated defenders weighing in.
Durant's game in the old era
Scottie Pippen, a six-time NBA champion and one of the architects of the Chicago Bulls dynasty, made it clear he sees Durant's style as a product of the times. The Hall of Famer believes the newest Houston Rockets forward would've faced serious adjustments had he been dropped into the bruising world of the 1980s or 1990s NBA.
"It would be a totally different game for him. He wouldn't be the same player he is today," Pippen said. "His ball handling would be limited because you could get into a player's body. Not just Durant, every player. The game had more physical quality."
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Durant has built a Hall of Fame career around his fluidity. At nearly seven feet tall with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, he moves like a guard, glides into pull-ups and shoots over defenders like they aren't there.
KD thrives in today's NBA, where floor spacing, freedom of movement and rules that favor offensive players have shifted the balance. However, the late 20th-century game lived by different laws.
During that era, hand-checking, elbow clearing and hard fouls were strategic moves for defensive players. Scorers had to navigate a constant barrage of physicality, often administered by guys whose sole job was to wear down stars over four quarters. Offensive lanes were more congested, defensive three seconds didn't exist and perimeter defenders could guide offensive players with their hands.
Pippen was built for that kind of basketball. At 6-foot-8, with the agility of a guard and the toughness of a forward, he spent years shadowing the league's best scorers, often without help. That's why his take on Durant isn't necessarily a dismissal of his greatness but rather a reminder of how much the league's infrastructure shapes what's possible on the court.
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Durant's handle and perimeter game are foundational to his scoring identity, but against a defense that could bump him off his spots, crowd his dribble and meet him with force 25 feet from the hoop, that freedom would've been narrowed. Scoring 30 a night on 50 percent shooting might've looked different under a whistle that let defenders dictate pace and space.
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No space, no peace
In his prime, Pippen averaged 2.9 steals per game, a mark that still ranks among the top 25 in NBA history for a single season. He guarded the wings, hounded point guards, shut down shooting guards and often initiated the offense himself.
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For all his height and length, Durant would've had to survive not just one Pippen but an era of Ron Harpers, Dennis Rodmans and Gary Paytons, ready to fight for every inch of hardwood.
Beyond the defensive physicality, the style of the game itself would have posed another hurdle for KD. Today's NBA is wide. It's a league of pace, spacing and heavy 3-point volume.
In 2024, teams averaged over 34 3-point attempts per game, compared to just 9.9 in 1990. That space creates oxygen for players like Durant, who thrive off isolation and pull-up jumpers.
"You could pretty much guard a player from 94 feet and use your defensive skills to try to take him out of the game — and that's not where today's game is," Pippen said.
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But in the '80s and '90s, offensive systems were tighter and more structured, often running through the post. Isolation plays existed but required deeper positioning and sharper timing, especially without the luxury of open corners and shooters stretching the floor.
In that era, Durant's height wouldn't have made him an anomaly. Kevin McHale was 6-foot-10, Karl Malone was 6-foot-9 and built like a tank, and they played through contact in every possession.
KD has never been known as a bruiser. His frame has drawn criticism throughout his career, with questions about how much physical toll he could absorb.
In the '80s, slashing to the rim meant bracing for body-on-body impact, not a whistle. On a nightly basis, Durant would've had to face enforcers whose primary role was deterrence, the likes of Charles Oakley, Anthony Mason and Rick Mahorn.
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That's not to say KD wouldn't have been successful. His jumper is too smooth, his release point is too high and his confidence is too unshakable to disappear entirely. But 30 points a night on near-effortless efficiency is what Pippen believes is a product of today's game, not a blueprint that would've been applicable in a different era.
Related: 'As great as he is, there's a cap to his talent' - Scottie Pippen once revealed his biggest criticism of Kevin Durant's game
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 29, 2025, where it first appeared.