When Kevin Durant opted to leave the Thunder to go to the Warriors it caused a massive commotion. Media network and basketball experts commented on it and Thunder fans voiced their hatred towards him. It was almost as bad as when Lebron left the Cavs.
Fast forward to this present time and Kevin Durant is now a NBA champion. Considering the result of him winning a championship, was it the right move to go to a team that he lost to in the Western Conference finals the year before?
Being Competitive
The 2015/16 Western Conference Finals were amazing. It saw the Thunder take a 3-1 lead, only to lose the series 4-3. Kevin Durant led the series in scoring at 30 points per game and took the defending champions to 7 games. This was no ordinary Warriors team. This was a team that broke the most wins in a season record with 73 wins.
Pushing this Warriors team to 7 games was a mammoth task and for many a basketball fan and analyst, made the Warriors super team seem beatable. I know a lot of Thunder fans felt given another shot at the Warriors the Thunder team with Westbrook and Durant will again make the NBA finals.
Being the competitive person that I am, if I was in Kevin Durant’s position after game 7 of the 2015/16 Western Conference finals. I’d be looking forward to the next season and having a crack at the Warriors again. In fact, given the Thunders ability to take the Warriors to 7 games I’d be more confident.
Kevin Durant going to the Warriors
After the off-season bidding wars for Kevin Durant a decision was finally made that he was going to join the warriors squad. This caused a lot of controversy predominantly with Cavs and Lebron James fans. It was clear Lebron fans knew a Warriors team with Kevin Durant would be unbeatable.
NBA analysts also chimed in to have their say. Stephen A Smith the most vocal stating Durant’s move was the ‘weakest move I’ve ever seen from a superstar’.
He also went on to say “It’s not that he’s leaving Oklahoma City. If you’re not happy there and you want to move on, and you want to grow as a player, there’s nothing wrong with that,” Smith said. “He’s one of the top-three players in the world. He’s a quintessential superstar. He deserves all the credit in the world for the talent he possesses. But the flip side is this: They were up, 3-1, in the Western Conference final … and you depart for the team that beat you, when you’re on the cusp of getting to the Finals yourself or ultimately winning the championship?”
NBA regular season
The season came and the Warriors looked shaky almost as if they were trying to find a groove. It seemed that there were issues with personalities on the team. A video clip of Dreymon Green yelling at Kevin Durant circulated through social media to prove the fact. Little did the fans know behind the scenes the Warriors were a tight unit.
By the season end the Warriors were a well oiled unit with Kevin Durant finding his groove and the whole team playing as one unit. Durant did have a few health scares with a few injuries but in all a season well played.
Is this where this point ends? Nope! This is where 95% of people miss the point. A Warriors team of superstars were able to set aside their egos have Durant join the team and successfully win a championship.
Winning a Championship
Despite dropping a game to the Cavs, the Warriors totally dominated the finals series along with the whole playoff. Sweeping teams and dropping just one game throughout the playoffs.
Kevin Durant is finally a NBA champion! To top that off he was the finals MVP stepping up big time and with Lebron was the clear standout of the series.
Analysing his road to becoming a NBA champion do you think his decision to go to the Warriors is justified?
My thoughts on the announcement of his decision was no. At the time I too thought it wasn’t the best move and thought he should have opted to go to another team with a chance of making the playoffs. A team that he could make an impact on. I believed that so many superstars on one team couldn’t coexist. But boy did the Warriors prove that wrong.
After the NBA season ended and I realised how comfortable Kevin Durant was playing for the Warriors. I changed my view. It was the right decision by KD. He moved, had an amazing season, made a huge impact in the playoffs and won a championship. Isn’t that what every basketball player dreams of?
Think about all those NBA superstars that never won a ring. Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley, Allen Iverson. Staying at the Thunder Durant would have never won a Championship, especially with Russell Westbrook at the point. Kevin Durant needed to move and went to a team that was filled with players willing to sacrifice for the betterment of the team.
In the end, Kevin Durant is a NBA champion and no one can argue that.
