Tell me again why a one and done player should have his jersey retired. Was he really good? yes. But one year doesn't deserve a retired jersey.
The bar at UT (save for a couple of recent FB retirees) is national player of the year honors, as evidenced by the Heisman or similar awards. By this measure, Durant qualifies more than any other player in any sport in UT's history.
Durant did more for this program in one year than every Longhorn before him. No slight to TJ because he started it all, but Durant is the best to ever wear a Longhorn uni. Now, if we had the history of NC or Duke, the argument can be made.
And he led his team to an early round exit while not playing particularly well in that game. Our basketball standards are low. His impact on this program is indeterminable. If some other one and done player comes here because of Durant, that does not mean he has done more than anyone for this program. Good solid programs are stronger than any one individual. The player of the year, in my opinion, does not make one worthy of having their jersey retired. He did not earn it when compared to guys like Brooks Kieschnick or Huston Street in baseball. Colt had a better season in his sport than Durant did in his, and he may not have his number retired. He had a great year but only one. In a team game, his team ultimately achieved little as compared to some before and after him. And to think we are worse off the year after with Augustin leaving than the year after with Durant leaving.
Dan Le Batard ripped this decision on PTI today. Said that this happens with teams / programs that lack tradition. They just retire anyone's number. Compared it to the Miami Heat's decision to retire both Michael Jordan's #23 and Dan Marino's #13. pissed me the hell off when he said that today
Due to different levels of tradition, you can not compare the rationale of why or why not to retire someone's number in football, basketball, and baseball at Texas. In today's college basketball, a player that is good enough to have his number retired will only be on campus for 1-2 years anyway. Players like Tim Duncan are a thing of the past. So, if a player has to be on campus for longer than 1-2 years, get ready to reach DEEP into your history as we did with Slater Martin, never retire a players number, or hang Atchley's number from the rafters. We are worse off after Augustin leaving than we were after Durant leaving because there is ZERO NBA first round talent on this team now. Augustin is a true PG that is able to run the floor, create, and raise the level of the players around him. He gave us an additional outside threat as well. We don't have any of this on this year's team.
Over time, Kevin Durant will pay more dividends for the UT basketball program than any individual player for any other sport at Texas. That's not the criteria for having a jersey retired, but Durant fulfilled that, too. I feel strongly this is the right decision, and I'm glad to see it happen.
I'm gonna hafta hang with the "Nay's" on this. KD was a great player and I'm very proud and happy he decided to play for Texas. That said however, we are still a University, and retiring a freshman's jersey seems a bit over the top to me. (Even a soph to be honest.)
Kevin did a lot for the program. Not sure how anyone could question that. He is a great player and an even better person. WIth his ability, work ethic, and off the court personality he is sure to be an NBA star for a long time and a boost to any community he is in. Why would you not want your kids to look up and see #35 and ask you who that was. I think he is a great face of the program and am glad to have him associated with Texas basketball in this way. As a kid, my favorite players were Travis Mays and Lance Blanks, but I still remember asking my dad who Slater Martin was when I saw a picture of him. Do I wish KD had stayed longer? Sure, but that is not the current climate of college basketball. And I see KD back here every summer working with our current players, and more importantly, working to get his degree from Texas. I am proud of him and will be proud to look up at his his retired jersey in the rafters at every home game.
There have been several good players that were good people that have played for this program. I'm still not sure what that means to the program in the long term. If you are saying his number hanging in the rafters means others may come, I doubt that. If you mean by every summer he comes back was this past summer then ok. We'll see in the future if he continues to come back. Really, I hope he does continue to help out and makes a long term impact. However, the further he develops in the NBA I think the further he will stray from the program. I'm very proud he was a Longhorn, but again what did he do for the program other than have a great year and come back one summer? As I said earlier if he met requirements to have his jersey retired then ok. Just don't go out and say he has had a major impact on this program by being on or near campus for a year or so. This program is where it is and is where it is going because of R.B.
I'm sorry that it's hard for you to realize just how much he did while on campus for one year and what kind of great ambassador for Texas he has been. He you seen his two new Nike shoes white the way? White/Burnt Orange. Black/Burnt Orange. I am not saying the mjority of the credit should go to R.B., and he will have his place in Texas history. But retirning numbers is about the players and K.D. is the best Texas has ever had. Unofrtunately it was during a time when college basketball is a 1 year stepping stone for the very elite players like him. He chose to come to Texas and would have been glad to play here for 4 years if that is what the rules required. He comes back every summer to get his degree and will get it. I wouldn't have a problem with altering the rule to require that jersies could only be retired for players who have their degree. I know TCU has that rule bc it took another couple of summers for LT to have his number retired there.
Durant's presence in the program has made a huge impact on UT's ability to recruit nationally. I doubt there's a Jordan Hamilton, Tristan Thompson, or Daniel Bejarano in UT's future without him. I'm not saying they're coming to Texas because of Durant. That's not how sales/recruiting works. But Durant's visibility, success, and profile allows Texas to get their foot in the door on any recruit in the country, and those three in particular liked how Texas used Durant, and want to play in the same kind of style/role that he did. He came back two summers ago after being drafted, then again this past summer. So yeah, every summer, as in two summers in a row. He also finished out his spring semester academically when many one and dones do not. Going out of your way to minimize this shows your ignorance regarding its importance and rarity. Rick Barnes is the person ultimately responsible for the program, but he can't do it by himself. The players he has brought in have been the ones who have directly impacted the profile of the program, and no player has been bigger than Kevin Durant.
if kd continues to improve at his current pace, he will be one of the truly elite players in the nba in a few years. that will have a profound effect on our b-ball program. he has already had a tremendous impact.
Remember that the team KD was on was 4frosh and 1soph.....did ya'll actually expected final four (ala fab five)? I didn't. KD was a unique player and will help the basketball program in future yrs, based on him attending UT.
It wasn't just 4 frosh and 1 soph. That was the starting lineup. It was only two returning players, one of which (Atchley) redshirted, and the other, Abrams, played as a sixth man. There wasn't just inexperience in terms of playing time. There was a HUGE amount of inexperience in terms of time in the program. The culture of the program had to be rebuilt from scratch. That Texas team was the youngest team in the history of the NCAA to ever make the tournament, and yet the accomplishment is completely overlooked because Durant was such a dominant player.
I agree with retiring KD's jersey. In my opinion, one year of great performance is much, much more significant historically than 3 or 4 'good' years. I love watching guys like AJ and Dex grow during their time at the University, and appreciate their contribution to the program. But it is truly a special accomplishment to be named national POY in any sport. And remember, KD continues to represent the University well. I am always glad to read quotes like these: “I was only here for one year,” Durant said Wednesday, “but I think I’ll bleed orange for the rest of my life.” KD bleeds orange...
