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.