In this conversational YouTube video, NBA veterans Draymond Green and Mo Williams dissect what it means to be an NBA "superstar" and argue whether Kevin Durant belongs in that elite tier. The dialogue weaves personal anecdotes, references to Magic Johnson’s marketing definition, and a litany of player examples (Steph Curry, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, James Harden, Paul Pierce, Allen Iverson, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, etc.). They outline criteria for superstar status – the ability to galvanize a franchise, dominate opponents regardless of scheme, and possess a cultural impact that transcends on‑court performance. The pair debate the fluidity of the label, noting that only a handful of players truly meet the bar, while also acknowledging that the list expands as the definition broadens. A central focus is the back‑and‑forth on Kevin Durant’s case: Green argues Durant’s versatility and influence make him a superstar, while Williams initially hesitates but eventually concedes his impact mirrors that of Allen Iverson and the cultural shift sparked by players like AI (Allen Iverson). The conversation is peppered with personal stories (e.g., a 2005 game against AI, Steph Curry’s bench comment in 2022) that illustrate how superstars leave lasting imprints both on the court and in the league’s narrative. The overall takeaway is that "superstar" is a nuanced, evolving label that blends on‑court dominance, franchise leadership, and cultural resonance.
Chapters
For the past few weeks, it's been this constant conversation about players that's a superstar or not.
Yeah, yeah.
And so I think my question to you is, how would you describe a superstar in the NBA? We all saw Magic the other day say, "A person who can go on the road and sell the building out." How do you describe—
Nah, that's just marketing, you know what I mean? You know, I feel like, you know, superstar is, I'm talking about pure on the court. He, you know, that's marketing and that's just selling stuff. And you don't have to be a superstar to sell stuff. You gotta just be marketable. But when you talk about a superstar, I'm talking about somebody that can galvanize a whole franchise. You get what I mean? Like Steph is a superstar.
Mm-hmm.
You know what I'm saying? Just his aura, just off when that moment, and let's take Steph out of just what I'm just talking about a superstar now, just in any moment, understanding on how big that stage is and always able to step up into that spot of whatever it is that they do best on how they are a superstar. I feel like a superstar is someone that no matter what the opponent has in front of them, they can overcome it. No matter if it— they might get knocked down, they may got stopped in this series or this game, you know, but at the end of the day, he's gonna figure that out. That's a superstar, you know. I'm a role star, you know what I'm saying? So at the end of the day, it's moments Where, shit, I can't do nothing tonight. I mean, they own me. First of all, I'm on the side of had 3 good games. They got a scheme on me. They ain't really worried about Bron tonight. They feel like if we take Mo out, then, you know, let Bron get his 40 tonight. He ain't in a really aggressive night anyway. Then I'm just gonna struggle a little bit. It ain't nothing I can do. You know what I mean? They scheme got me. A superstar, it ain't nothing you can do. You just gotta just hope that they ain't, they don't figure it out their game and they don't figure out their series. And you know, they just, whatever you created, you know, it just, you know, obviously just kept them in a funk, you know, just, I'll take '16 for example. Just, that was kind of the first season where we were just kind of just, our scouting report was anytime Steph is around, you better not go by him without touching.
Yeah. Mm.
Like every time you seen him touch him, boom. And JR just happened to be in the screen with him the whole time and he just taking advantage. He leaning into it, you know what I'm saying? So like that was something that we did, you know what I'm saying? That was in the scouting report. That's something that we talked about, you know, making sure we physical, making sure we hitting them, making sure we hitting them, because he never wanted to switch. You know, so we was make 'em switch, hit 'em, you know. So when you understanding that, you look at Steph now, you can't do that to Steph today.
Cannot.
You know what I'm saying? Does not work. Doesn't work.
So how many, so how many superstars do you say are actually in the NBA?
Be honest.
I think people get the superstar tag and they not superstar. Stars.
Yeah. Hey, listen, man, that's a small room, dog. Very small, bro. They don't even— it ain't even no key to their room. Like, you gotta like get it stamped on you and it just automatically open when you get there. You get what I'm saying? Like, you talk about superstar, I mean, let's, you know, obviously, bro, you got obviously like— that ain't even to talk about. I put Steph in that category, obviously. Um, Giannis. And when I say Giannis, in my opinion, because I don't give a damn, man. Yeah, man, you can't— listen, man, that's Giannis. You understand exactly what I'm saying. And it ain't no guarding him, it's just scheming for him and what we gonna give them, what we forcing them into. Like, that's a sign of a superstar too. It's like, man, we finna go out here and guard them, we finna shut them down. Nah, man, we forcing into this right here all night long. And if he go get 40 right here, this— it is what it is, you know. Um, I gotta pause, man, because I can't just get that out like that, you know. I don't just want to be saying names. I mean, Kawhi— I mean— Oh, that's that. I mean, yeah, but you— but you straddling when you get to, you know, like, he's a star. Like, James Harden, a star. He's like a really good star, you know, like, man, superstar, like, that's almost, when you talk about superstar, you almost talking about, man, it's tricky, man. Like legend stuff, man, you talking about AIs, and like, that's almost disrespectful to the AIs.
Yeah.
You know what I'm saying? Like, man, I remember my second year in the league, man, I'll never forget this. Third year, might have been my third year, man. This the year after, 'cause he won the championship, he won MVP in '04. This gotta be 2005.
Mm-hmm.
Man, we playing Philly in Milwaukee. AI scoring champion the previous season, MVP. My first year starting and On my second year start, we playing Milwaukee. He first half, 15 points. Make a long story short, first half, 15 points. We go at halftime, uh, Terry Porter to hype me up. Hey, Mo, doing a hell of a job, man, over there. Keep it up, you know. So, so you coming out, so you come out the tunnel. I gotta walk, come by tunnel. They tell us though, he got to go to his goal, we go to go, we got to walk by each other. So, you know, I'm walking by, I remember what Coach said, and I'm young, it's my third year. So walking by AI, AI walked by and said, "See, young fella, I done sweated the lookout." That's all. That's all he said, Draymond? That's all he said, but we never stopped. He said it as he walking by, "Hey, young fella, I done sweated the lookout." And we just left. I just act like I ain't hear, but I heard him. He finished the game 54. That's some— Into the half, man, we walked by each other and said, hey young fella, I sweated that look out. It's over. 54.
Jesus Christ.
That's a true story.
That's a superstar.
That's a true story, true story, man. That's a superstar. Everybody ask him. That's a superstar.
That's a superstar. That's Steph Curry in the front of Boston bench in 2022 saying, "This y'all last win in this finals," and that actually being your last win. Obviously that's a different thing, it's the NBA Finals. But only superstars can do that. We once heard—
Exactly.
I don't know if the story's true, but we once heard a story of Patrick Beverley saying, "You had the last 5 years, I got the next 5 years." Superstars can say that, but you have to be a superstar because you have to be able to control so much. And only superstars, and by the way, when I say only superstars, like 4 to 5 of them. There's not many.
That's it, that's it. Like, man, as much as I love KD, Like, much as I love KD, like, he's a star.
Like—
No, no, no, KD is a superstar.
No! No, no, no, KD is.
I'm not disrespecting him on that. I know, but KD is a superstar.
But, but—
Okay, I'm all with you. I'm with you.
You know, and I'm gonna tell you why I said KD is a superstar.
Because I was gonna say, like, superstar right here, and like, KD, like, to me, he like, he like, he like, man, they ready to open the door for him.
You want me to tell you why KD is a superstar?
But you played with him though. You played with him.
I'm gonna tell you why KD's a superstar. No matter where you place him, he can do the same exact thing.
Okay.
I don't care if he's on my team, your team, LeBron James' team, Nikola Jokic's team, Steph Curry team.
All right. Kawhi.
He can do the same exact thing on no matter where he is.
That's what you— All right. So now you opening it up a little bit now. So James Harden.
Has he done the same exact thing anywhere else outside of Houston?
KG.
No, KG—
See, you— KG, that's a superstar. That's what I'm saying. When you say, when we locked in on KD like a no-brainer superstar, then that's when the KGs, when you start talking KGs, the— Because KG is a superstar. You get what I'm saying? Now it's like they're no-brainers. You get what I'm saying? When we were talking about superstar, transcended, like 4 or 5.
LeBron, Steph, Mike.
AI.
Yeah.
I get what you're saying. Now that list get a little bit bigger.
I see what you're saying.
You know what I'm saying?
For sure.
It get bigger now. Well, when we ain't really, you know, locked in on just kind of two qualities and we just open it up, it's just kind of like the bag, then you can start, you know, not a Paul Pierce's coming question. All right, I like that.
You get what I'm saying? All right, we go back. We will.
You get what I'm saying? We're taking it back. Not the Paul Pierce coming question. You know, he like borderline almost now. You get what I'm saying? And we started to broaden it up a little bit.
Definitely not in the category, no disrespect to the truth. I think he is the truth. Truth, but he's—
But you get what I'm saying.
Category was set.
But you giving me too much space.
MJ.
All right.
Exactly. I can't argue that one. Say no more. I can't argue that one. Okay, respect.
But that's why that's a touchy, that's why that's been a topic for a month or so now.
Yes, sir.
Because we respect people so much where I feel like KG, I feel like AIs and— All them guys are superstar, but everybody, like, how do you, it's, it just all depends on how you categorize superstar. You know, some people is like, nah, bro, it ain't number 2 up. Mike and Bron, that's it. You know what I'm saying? Kobe ain't even there. I done heard that.
That's idiotic.
You get what I'm saying?
Listen, I follow you on that.
Oh, that's just a broad, that's a broad. And I take that back about KD, 'cause now the more I think about it, I just felt like I disrespected him. You feel me?
Oh yeah.
You get what I'm saying?
You ain't disrespecting.
When you think about it, you know, it's like, okay, if you brought it up, KD a no-brainer. You know what I'm saying? He on the same level as AI, KG.
Yes.
'Cause if they superstars, it's a no-brainer for KD. But if you saying, hey man, they gotta be on Mike and Bron level, I'm like, real shit, dude. Ain't I number 2 of them, 3 of them?
From a basketball perspective, KD and Allen Iverson are definitely on, and KD's a 2-time champion, right? Right. And by the way, I'm the biggest Allen Iverson fan. Shout out to the OG, just had a birthday. Happy birthday to him again. Happy 50th. But from a basketball perspective, I feel like what KD bring to the game and what AI brought to the game is very similar. Where it differs is AI changed the whole culture.
Yeah.
And he changed the whole way of how we all look at the game. How we felt like we can act, how we thought we could dress, how we— like, he changed so many different things. And I think that's what makes AI a little different. But no, no, I, I—
KG, I mean, KD got the same effect though.
He does. KD got everybody who's over 6'7" thinking we should dribble and shoot. Yeah.
Because he made it possible. And how authentic he is. You get what I'm saying? Just how he, how he talk. Absolutely. He one of the guys. Yeah, so I think he has an AI kind of feel, you know, from a superstar standpoint. You get what I mean? So the superstar that was in the league at that time with AI had they own persona. Now the superstars in the league along with KD, the Bronzes and the Stephs, they got a whole different persona than KD. KD kind of the AI of this group.
