How difficult is it to erect a statue in the NBA? There are only four current players qualified, including Durant.

In the NBA, erecting a statue is the team's greatest recognition of a player's contribution. Generally, only superstars are eligible to have statues erected by the team, and they must have made a very large contribution to the team. These two are indispensable, so even a super giant of Durant's level is difficult to be erected as a statue by the Thunder. There are only 4 current NBA players who are qualified to be erected as statues by their teams after retirement. Let us take a look at who they are!

Four: Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo is only 30 years old now, but his contribution to the Bucks has already been very great. After all, he is the player who can lead the Bucks to win the championship again in 21 years after more than fifty years. The small-ball market of the Bucks will attract more fans' attention because of him. In fact, the starting point of Antetokounmpo's career was not high. He was only selected with the 15th overall pick in the draft. Later, he gradually became famous through his own personal efforts.

After continuous training, Antetokounmpo first won the Most Improved Player Award, and then won the regular season MVP twice in a row. In the 19-20 season, he even won the MVP and DPOY honors in a single season, comparable to the two giants Jordan and Olajuwon, not to mention that he could lead the team to win the championship and win the FMVP honor. For a giant like Antetokounmpo, it is unreasonable for the Bucks not to erect a statue for him. Even if he retires now, he is definitely the best player in the history of the Bucks.

Three: Jokic

Jokic is a center in NBA history. Players of his level are rare in NBA history. After all, no center can be as versatile as him. Jokic not only has solid basic skills at the basket, but also has shooting ability that ordinary centers do not have. Last season, he just shot the highest three-point shooting percentage of his career. What is even more valuable is that Jokic has top-notch passing ability, which is also the rarest point among NBA centers.

In 2021 and 22, he won the regular season MVP twice in a row, and he was far from his peak during that period. Although Jokic did not win the MVP in 23 years, he led the Nuggets to their first championship in team history in the playoffs, and he also won the FMVP trophy. This alone is enough to make him the best player in the history of the Nuggets. And in 2024, he won the MVP again. Last season, he even averaged a triple-double per game. For a player of his level, playing in a small market like the Nuggets is an honor for the team, so it is only natural for the Nuggets to erect a statue of him.

Two: Curry

Curry is a historical point guard in the NBA, and his career is legendary. He won two consecutive MVPs in 2015 and 2016, and also led the team to the best record in NBA history of 73 wins and 9 losses. In the seven years from 15 to 22, Curry led the Warriors to four championships, almost single-handedly turning the Warriors into a giant in the league. His contribution to the Warriors can be said to be very great. Before Curry, the Warriors were still an unknown team in the league. After Curry became famous, the Warriors directly became the top team in the league, and their market value increased countless times. This is Curry's influence.

Even if Curry retires where he is now, the Warriors will have to erect a statue for him, maybe even more than one, and his jersey will also have to be retired. This is Curry's personal ability. After all, he is the top point guard in the league and a player who changed the way the NBA plays.

1: James

James has played for a total of three teams in his career, and he has made great contributions to each team. In the Cavaliers, he led the team to win the first championship in team history. In the Heat, he also led the team to complete two consecutive championships, and personally won the FMVP twice. And in the Lakers, James also led the team to win the championship after ten years. This is his personal ability. As long as he comes to the new team, he can bring the team a championship.

However, the Heat basically have no way to erect a statue for James. James has not had a good relationship with them since leaving the Heat. At present, it seems that the possibility of the Cavaliers and Lakers erecting statues for James is relatively high. After all, the Cavaliers' only championship was won by James, and James has also broken various records with the Lakers. He has made great contributions to both teams, so there is no problem for the team to erect a statue for him.