Great players never are considered truly great unless they have a ring. Durant took the easy way out but who can blame him? After years pass, no one will remember how he got his ring but simply that he has one.
I disagree from several standpoints. There's vast differences in how players such as Kevin Durant, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant are viewed versus how important role players such as Robert Horry, Ray Allen, Manu Ginobili are viewed. Horry, Allen and Ginobili have multiple rings between them and are highly respected ... but they aren't elite level players that were expected to carry their teams to titles largely upon their shoulders.
Kobe Bryant's legacy would be much different had he only won titles as Shaq's sidekick and never on his own. He still would have been considered a great player, but never on the level he is considered now. He needed at least 1 title as the leading man. He got 2.
LeBron James already had validation as an alpha leading a team to multiple championships. But because of the way the team was constructed, he didn't have the same validation in the eyes of some peers, fans, and media as Jordan, Duncan, Kobe and other elite level superstar players. That all changed when he led Cleveland to the title.
KD is an elite level talent that will never be validated unless he leads his own team to a title. Becoming a glorified role player on a loaded Golden State team that has already proven that it can win without him won't do the trick. I've heard some say that he wants a title so badly that he doesn't care what others think or say about him. I call shenanigans. If he's so deadset on a title that he's willing to join a proven team and a rival that he couldn't beat, it tells me that he (A) cares about what people will think about his legacy should he never win a title or (B) realizes that he will never be satisfied with his career unless he wins a title.
In either situation, how can he ever feel truly validated with a ring that that he didn't have a huge impact in winning? This isn't Robert Horry or Steve Kerr or Chris Bosh were talking about. This guy is a former MVP, scoring champion and considered one of the top 5 players in the entire league. The rules are different for players like him, fair or unfair.
As I said before, Golden State has won without him. Quite recently. Winning it again with KD on the roster doesn't prove that KD is an all-time great. He won't ever enter than club unless he leads his own team. Someday, that might actually mean something to him.