Walt Frazier criticizes Durant: 'There will be an asterisk next to his name'

Kevin Durant may never escape the criticism after leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder to join a 73-win Golden State Warriors squad in 2016.

Count New York Knicks legend Walt Frazier as one of Durant's critics, as the color commentator believes Durant tarnished his legacy by jumping ship.

"There will be an asterisk next to his name," Frazier told SiriusXM NBA Radio Tuesday, according to New York Daily News' Stefan Bondy.

He added: "Durant, as great a player he is, I would still hold back (giving him credit) because he joined a team that really didn’t need him. He's right there with LeBron, probably would've surpassed LeBron as the best player in the game soon, but for him doing that I still don't give him the full credit that he probably would've deserved if he stayed in OKC and won a title with that team."

Durant nearly led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2015-16 but they failed to close their 3-1 series advantage against the Warriors in the Western Conference finals. The 2014 Most Valuable Player left Oklahoma City months later and was eventually crowned Finals MVP in both of Golden State's championship runs since.

The superstar forward hasn't shied away from the slander, even engaging in debates with Instagram and Twitter users to defend his decision.

The NBA has entered an era wherein elite players often decide to play with their closest friends around the Association, and it arguably began when LeBron James and Chris Bosh joined Dwyane Wade's Miami Heat in 2010. It's become a common trend as players seemingly chase championships.

"You never know what guys are thinking today," Frazier said. "It’s not something I would've done, I would've never joined West or Chamberlain. I wanted to kick their butts. But today's players, they have this camaraderie. They want to play together. (Carmelo Anthony) going to Houston with Chris Paul. They've had that going on a long time that they wanted to be teammates."