I was absolutely hammered during the festivities of Fourth of July weekend in the year of 2016, (well 2014, 2015, and 2017 too but that’s besides the point). July 5, 2016, it became official that Kevin Durant was signing with the Golden State Warriors. A years’ worth of memes and Warriors hate would follow. Much like when King James joined the Heat, I joined in on the hate for about a year and then I was over it. You would think the same would happen this time around. Unfortunately, I’m still mad at Kevin Durant a year later.
Why KD And Not Bronny?
You must be wondering why I was willing to forgive LeBron James for leaving the Cavaliers, but not willing to forgive Kevin Durant. To be clear, I do not hate the second best player in the NBA, nor do I have a huge problem with him leaving the Thunder. Before we dive in, let’s review the differences in their respective departures.
The Difference In Their Super Teams:
For starters, LeBron James joined a team which had a 46-35 record the year before. Kevin Durant, on the other hand, joined an NBA all-time best 73-9 team. King James formed his own squad instead of joining the Celtics who had repeatedly defeated him in the past. Kevin Durant joined the team which won three straight to beat him after the Thunder had a 3-1 lead, went to the finals, and were one less Draymond Green “high nuts kick” away from winning an NBA championship. The Warriors did not need Durant to win the championship, they just needed him to not be with Russell Westbrook.
I’m Can’t Be Over It Because The NBA Finals Are Already Determined:
Yes, he won a championship. Yes he won the finals MVP. Those facts still don’t justify his decision to join the stacked team which beat his team. If your ex cheats on you with your worst enemy and marries the guy, she’s still a bad person. To clarify once more, Kevin Durant is not a bad guy. However, to put it quite simply, the former MVP joining the Warriors over stacked them to the point where, for the second year in a row, the outcome of the NBA finals is determined before the pre-season even begins. On July 5, 2016 I publicly predicted that if both Cleveland and Golden State remained healthy, the Warriors would win the NBA title in 5 games. I figured they wanted to win it at home in front of the home crowd so I gave the Cavaliers one game. As a League Pass subscriber,I am disappointed at the level of entertainment I’m being provided whenever teams go up against the Warriors, or the other mediocre “super teams” which are being formed to attempt to match up with the Warriors.
Will these super teams make the NBA more exciting in the Long? I don’t know, but I doubt it. What I do know is if teams aren’t in a position to acquire multiple all-stars, they don’t have a chance in hell to win a title which is why many choose to tank instead. It’s a shame that the pre-season hasn’t even started yet and we already know that 29 teams in the NBA have no shot of beating the Warriors. Yes, the Warriors are smart for signing Kevin Durant. No, I don’t have to forgive his decision or be over it. I will still enjoy my NBA League Pass and watch teams like the Nuggets, Timberwolves, and my Boston Celtics. No, I do not look forward to any playoffs series the Warriors play, nor the NBA finals. That’s pretty sad considering how big of an NBA fan I am.
What do you think of my stance on Kevin Durant? Leave a comment or tweet me @TPRx11!