link: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2819624-report-kevin-durant-thought-hed-be-seen-as-better-than-lebron-after-17-finals

"Kevin Durant apparently wants to be seen as the best player in the world. The public's unwillingness to see him as such is reportedly among the reasons Durant could leave the Golden State Warriors this summer.

Ethan Strauss of The Athletic reported Durant "believed" defeating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2017 NBA Finals would have allowed him to usurp James as the de facto best player in basketball.

Of course, that did not happen. James put together a Herculean effort in defeat, becoming the first player to average a triple-double in an NBA Finals. And while Durant won the Finals MVP honors, most viewed James as the best player in the series.

Durant won his second Finals MVP against James' Cavaliers last season, but again no changing of the guard happened.

A 10-time All-Star and 2014 league MVP, Durant has never been seen as the best player in basketball. He's spoken openly about his desire to move out of the "second-place" mantle, but there have even been questions about whether he's the best player on his own team since signing with Golden State."