On this day four years ago, Kevin Durant decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors. After spending nearly a decade at the Oklahoma City Thunder, he signed up with their Western Conference rivals. The move came a few months after Thunder lost in the Finals of the Conference against Warriors.
Durant has been heavily criticized for the move since the Warriors came out of a record 73-9 season. People blamed him for taking the easy road and not trying to establish an inheritance. And even today, people won’t stop their attacks on Durant. On the anniversary of the infamous announcement, one of these fans decided to take his rant on Twitter, calling Durant for whatever reason he deems appropriate. But Durant, instead of ignoring him, decided to take responsibility for responding to his hatred / critic.
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– Kevin Durant (@ KDTrey5) July 4, 2020
Thinking back on his decision
In his famous film Player ‘Tribune entitled “My next chapter,” he explained why he left OKC. “The main mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have based it on the potential for my growth as a player – since it has always guided me in the right direction. “
“But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: to leave my comfort zone in a new city and community that offers the maximum potential for my contribution and personal growth. With that in mind, I have decided that I will join the Golden State Warriors. “
Kevin Durant finally gets his ring
In Warriors, Durant joined MVP winner Steph Curry and formed an iconic duo. They also had All-Stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green on their team. The Warriors had won a ring in 2015 without Durant and now had all the help in the world to do it again. In his first season at Golden State, they scored 67 wins, six more than the 2nd seed of San Antonio Spurs.
The Warriors continued to dominate in the playoffs while tearing their opponents to pieces in the Western Conference. They didn’t lose a single game, going 12-0. In the final, they met LeBron James and Cleveland Cavaliers. In Game 3, Durant hit one of the most iconic shots in the history of the playoffs. Less than a minute from the end, he hit a dagger from the outside, on LeBron, to give the Warriors a crucial advantage.
The Warriors failed to beat the Cavaliers 4-1 to seal the deal. They only became the third team in NBA history to lose only one game in a playoff game. Durant has finally gotten his long-awaited ring. With an average of 35 points per game, he also took home the MVP Final.
Durant didn’t want the ending
The following season they reached 2nd seed in the regular season. The Houston Rockets first seed was among the favorites to win the title. They fought with the Warriors in a seven-game streak during the Conference Finals, but the Warriors sneaked out after ending game 7. If Chris Paul hadn’t been hurt by the Rockets, it could have been a different story. But the Warriors made the most of the situation.
The NBA final was a non-race. Durant led the Warriors once again as they eliminated the unfortunate Knights again. With that, he got his second ring in two years. The Slim Reaper was in tears again, having averaged 29 points and 11 rebounds to earn his second final MVP.
He was going into three-peat with the Warriors, but Kawhi Leonard and the wounds put an end to that dream. Durant was injured in the NBA finals against the Toronto Raptors and couldn’t stop them from losing 2-4. Later in the 2019 Free Agency, Kevin Durant left the Warriors on target and traded in an attempt to create a new legacy in Brooklyn. He will return from an injury next season and try to achieve success similar to that of the Golden State.
