Kevin Durant motivated to return his name to elite company

Once upon a time -- as in a little more than a year ago -- Kevin Durant was probably the only player worthy of being included in any discussion alongside LeBron James for title of best player in the game.

But after three surgeries to repair a fracture in his right foot that caused him to miss 55 games this past season, the 2014 MVP understands why his name has slipped from a lot of minds as fans marvel at James' and Stephen Curry's electrifying performances in the NBA Finals.

"It used to piss me off, but I love it now," Durant told ESPN.com. "Just gotta show and prove. I don't deserve to be up there with them this year. Next year is a different story."

In ESPN.com's 2014 NBA Rank project, Durant finished a stunning eighth overall, after coming in No. 2 overall in 2012 and 2013. With his season clouded by foot surgery, the reason for the drop was obvious. But that doesn't mean Durant isn't using being overlooked as motivation.

"Sometimes you gotta remind people what you do," Durant said last season. "They tend to forget."

In late March, Durant underwent a bone graft procedure on his foot, which carried a recovery timetable of four to six months. He is back on the court doing light shooting drills and hopes to be fully cleared sometime in August.