KD to GS - Pt III

[shanghaifanzi]

Lebron, Wade, and Bosh set the precedent for this era.

Last era was all about loyalty - Kobe, Dirk, Duncan/Manu/TP, Pierce all ultimately sticking with their teams through their primes, even through down years.

If Lebron doesn't set the FA trend, I don't think this ever happens. KD doesn't have the audacity to make this move if the first Big 3 never happens.

Don't get too attached to any players, prepare for more of this the next decade.

For the record, I love GSW and I love Durant so I couldn't be happier..

nahhh, celtics 2008 set that for example for sure KG-PP-allen. they are the original big 3

Completely different situation. Boston had young talent and assets that they were willing to give up to bring in KG+Ray. They were in their 30's, which made it possible for Ainge to hit them right when they were ready to rebuild. KG and Ray didn't force their ways out too if I remember.

Lebron aint force that way out either, both lebron and bosh willing to take less payment to join wade in miami but in expense their bench is completely s*** compare to boston big 3 that have many good role players like tony allen, kendrick perkins (still serviceable good player at that time), big baby plus their upcoming star PG rondo.

the man behind KG go to boston is kevin mchale (current wolves GM at that time) who willing(helping his celtics almamater team) to send him go to boston, if kevin mchale wasn't wolves GM at the time i doubt he will end up in celtics

[Asianiac_24]

Although I really like GS, I cannot support this move. This is disgusting and cowardly. Durant should be ashamed of himself, what happened to competing? Lebron and Durant ruined basketball and its competitive spirits. Just take the easy way out and form super teams to win championships. What a joke.

[BROWN]

Which NBA were you watching? Rodman went from the Pistons, to the Spurs, then to the Bulls. And people remember him more for being a rebounder, a weirdo who wore dresses, and screwing Madonna. Dennis' act was wearing thin by the time he got to SA. The Bulls took a chance on after they lost Horace Grant to Free Agency a year or two prior. I'm curious, how old are you? Are you reading something or did you actually live in the years Rodman was in his prime??? Dennis won championships, I'll give you that, but his off the court antics overshadowed his on the court success.

Again what i meant to say was still valid. He ended up playing for the team he competed against in the Eastern conference finals.

Yes it took him 3 years to get that point. So it's all good for Dennis to join up a rival team, but KD can't because why?

It's cool for Wade to join up with LeBron, or it's cool with Wilt to join up with Jerry... it happens all the time. I understand that he was just a "role player". A role player doesn't just get into the hall of fame.

Your point isn't valid at all. Dennis Rodman, HOFer or not, was never a piece you build around. Rather, he was a complimentary piece. In no way shape or form was your example good. Further, Rodman was traded for, he didn't go from a team he lost to and signed as a free agent like Durant. Rodman was traded for Will freaking Perdue. Let that sink in for a moment. Additionally, Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Lakers and Wade has been with the Heat his whole career.

How old are you? Serious question. You sound like you're in your early 20s and just got done watching some NBA highlight reels.

Again you are missing the point. I am not comparing RODMAN to DURANT.

Rodman ended up playing for the "rival" team. Regardless of how he ended up there, Phil made the call to him and said come and play for us. He agreed.

I'm in my late 20's and I've been watching my Warriors since 2000. You may not understand the point, but I'm not the only one bringing this up. Playing for a "rival" team isn't a new idea. Durant didn't re-invent the wheel. Other "stars" have done it.

Lol @ Wilt was traded to the Lakers, Okay so we'll roll with that, he played no hand in getting himself to L.A to join forces with Jerry West. It's a-okay for Wilt to get a pass, because he was traded. Just like I'm sure you'll say it's okay for LeBron since he was traded to Miami, or Bosh. Yes Wade played for the Heat, but they orchestrated it so their rival opponents played together.

This isn't a new concept, it's been happening FOREVER.

[DreDay]

I've noticed there's a lot more fan backlash to this than player backlash.

[BROWN]

He won't be considered the best of the best either, even with a ring or two. The best of the best never joined a team with a 2 time MVP winner and a team that won 70+ games the season before.

Speaking of which, all those guys were first ballot HOFers. Durant would probably be one too since he won an MVP and has played at a pretty high level for a decent period of time.

Agreed, but in effect when you think of guys like Barkley, Malone, Ewing, Stockton. You categorize them differently, then guys like Jordan, Magic, Bird, Kobe, Shaq, only because some had rings, some didn't.

This isn't anyone's fault, but those who have emphasized, without rings, there's nothing else to talk about. 9 years in and doesn't have one, he's only made 1 trip to the NBA finals.

He'll be a lock, but people will remember him in the same category has the Dominques, Barkleys, Malones.

What he is doing now is pretty unprecedented, and he'll be put in his own special category for that.

Gary Payton has a ring, but it hardly enhanced his legacy. His legacy was set far before he won with the Heat. Durant will get one being a far more key player than Payton did, but everyone will know that he went to the best team of all time (at least according to record) to do so.

The Magics/Birds/Jordans of the world are on another level because they were the man on their team, and didn't move on to another team when the going got tough. But it's not just that Durant is moving on. It's that he's moving on to a historically great team. The Thunder had what, the 3rd or 4th best record in the NBA and were 1 game from going to the Finals, and that wasn't good enough for him to have a legit shot at a championship?

I doubt it, 20, 30 years down the road people will only remember what the raw facts will be. Did Durant lead the Warriors in pts? did he make the All Star team, did he win a ring? Okay check, check, check. He's great! It'll diminish Curry's value, but he has back to back MVPs, he doesn't care at this point.

Durant could've made it a tougher path, had he just stayed put, but what happens next year when Russ decides to bounce? He wasted another year not winning a championship.. he's 10 years in and no ring, and again he starts the re-build.

[ken6199]

Remember how great the WCF was? Good times.

Remember how good the WC first round match ups two years ago with almost four series all going to game 7? That's an even more painful thought.

[JeepCSC]

I've noticed there's a lot more fan backlash to this than player backlash.

Backlash usually comes from fans. The players usually don't say much. There was one player who used to tweet about beating the Heat and Lakers of the world and not joining them, but I haven't heard from him in regards to today. Wonder what he is up to.

[baldur]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycmeL4Dj1wo[/youtube]

[DreDay]

I've noticed there's a lot more fan backlash to this than player backlash.

Backlash usually comes from fans. The players usually don't say much. There was one player who used to tweet about beating the Heat and Lakers of the world and not joing them, but I haven't heard from him in regards to today. Wonder what he is up to.

Still, there's only a small minority of players echoing that sentiment, I could only find Paul Pierce and Nurkic.

[JeepCSC]

Players don't have to pay to watch the NBA product. Fans will react stronger when the league gets turned into something sort of grotesque.

[Twinkie defense]

Thunder's style of play was a waste of KD's talent. That he gave up money to go to a team with high-character guys willing to pass the rock is a credit to this young man. He gave almost ten years of his life to his job with the Sonics/Thunder - how many butt-hurt fans have done as much?

Credit to Presti for valuing what KD gave to the franchise. He's a class act - Dan Gilbert should watch and learn.


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[twozeroMM]

The one thing that bothers me the most is for the fans of KD, it's like we won't really get to appreciate his game to the fullest anymore or as much.

[fa2011]

Again what i meant to say was still valid. He ended up playing for the team he competed against in the Eastern conference finals.

Yes it took him 3 years to get that point. So it's all good for Dennis to join up a rival team, but KD can't because why?

It's cool for Wade to join up with LeBron, or it's cool with Wilt to join up with Jerry... it happens all the time. I understand that he was just a "role player". A role player doesn't just get into the hall of fame.

Your point isn't valid at all. Dennis Rodman, HOFer or not, was never a piece you build around. Rather, he was a complimentary piece. In no way shape or form was your example good. Further, Rodman was traded for, he didn't go from a team he lost to and signed as a free agent like Durant. Rodman was traded for Will freaking Perdue. Let that sink in for a moment. Additionally, Wilt Chamberlain was traded to the Lakers and Wade has been with the Heat his whole career.

How old are you? Serious question. You sound like you're in your early 20s and just got done watching some NBA highlight reels.

Again you are missing the point. I am not comparing RODMAN to DURANT.

Rodman ended up playing for the "rival" team. Regardless of how he ended up there, Phil made the call to him and said come and play for us. He agreed.

I'm in my late 20's and I've been watching my Warriors since 2000. You may not understand the point, but I'm not the only one bringing this up. Playing for a "rival" team isn't a new idea. Durant didn't re-invent the wheel. Other "stars" have done it.

Lol @ Wilt was traded to the Lakers, Okay so we'll roll with that, he played no hand in getting himself to L.A to join forces with Jerry West. It's a-okay for Wilt to get a pass, because he was traded. Just like I'm sure you'll say it's okay for LeBron since he was traded to Miami, or Bosh. Yes Wade played for the Heat, but they orchestrated it so their rival opponents played together.

This isn't a new concept, it's been happening FOREVER.

I hear you loud and clear and I'm not missing your point. Your comparisons are poor at best. How asinine of an argument is it to talk about playing for a rival team 3 years and 2 transactions after he left Pistons? This has more to do with a current top 3 player ditching HIS team and to going to a NBA record 73-9 team after they just lost to them. It's about Durant being a ring chaser and taking the easiest, almost guaranteed path to get it. I've already mentioned Lebron was a ring chaser going to Miami in an early post of this KD thread as well; however, in Durant's case it's worse.

This is what GSW fans are missing. No one has any issue that Golden State went out and got the top free agent that's nearly a perfect fit for their team. That's their job.

The problem is that:
A.) Durant left for an NBA regular season record breaking team he lost to solely because it was the easiest way to get a ring. Plain and simple.
B.) Warriors fans try to defend his actions and say he's not a ring chaser. He is.

Every bit of this is on Durant. The Warriors were just doing their job. And in the end, they came out with the prize. I have zero issues with the way the Warriors went about their business.

I can only imagine if Jordan, Bird, Magic, Kareem, Malone, Stockton, Ewing, Olajawon, Robinson etc left their teams the way KD did. It simply just didn't happen outside of trades and even those were rare.

[Twinkie defense]

Why 1+1 deal is what I'm wondering?

Same reason for LeBron's 1+1 - to take advantage in the increase in the cap/max salary levels next summer...


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[nfmos]

Everyone talks about how cowardly a move this is, and how much respect they are losing for Durant, but what if he just likes his new teammates more, and thought this would be a more enjoyable place to play regardless of the wins. Like some in the media have said, his relationship on the court with WB was "complicated". Maybe he wanted to play in an environment where no one seems to care about who is shooting, one where the players don't yell at each other on the court, where everyone seems to have fun playing the game together. Maybe he has built up relationships with Curry, Iggy, and Draymond over the years off the court where they all had wondered how fun it would be to play together, especially with their skillsets meshing so well together. Maybe he didn't feel that Westbrook was in it for the long haul and wanted to get out while he could, especially since it would be a lot harder next year to go to GS because we would have been stuck with HB and Ezelis new contracts while having Curry, Bogut and Iggy being FA's next year. Financially, this was the only time to do this.

And yes, Durant chose to go to an already great team, even though we only have one title. But what if he just didnt want to look back years from now and wonder how great it would have been playing with these guys he has grown to like and respect and see how great they could become together?

He has earned the right to decide where he wants to play and with who.

[rich316]

I've noticed there's a lot more fan backlash to this than player backlash.

It's because unlike the fans who view players a godlike figures who can simply combine their superpowers to form unbeatable teams, the players know that basketball is a game that is much more complicated and nuanced that just 'omg kd to the dubs? They are a lock for the next 5 titles!'

[DaleyBlind]

I've noticed there's a lot more fan backlash to this than player backlash.

Backlash usually comes from fans. The players usually don't say much. There was one player who used to tweet about beating the Heat and Lakers of the world and not joing them, but I haven't heard from him in regards to today. Wonder what he is up to.

Still, there's only a small minority of players echoing that sentiment, I could only find Paul Pierce and Nurkic.

obviously there is going to be way more backlash from fans.

you can bet your life though there are more players who share Nurkic and Pierce's thoughts though and just don't to make them public.

I find it funny thou

[Twinkie defense]

As pathetic of a move it is to join the team you couldn't beat in order to be successful, it makes next season that much more excitin. We got a new villain team. It'll be exciting to watch the top teams against the Warriors, and very satisfying to see them get beat and bounced of the Playoffs. Durant's tears and frustrations will taste amazing.

Warriors were already the villians with everyone gunning for them last season - they welcome the challenge. In fact all this whining about KD will only serve to motivate them... it's not easy to get up for back-to-backs vs. the Bucks or Nets. In fact the League would be well served to lop off about five teams, redistribute their best players, and send a bunch to Europe or the D-League.


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[BayArea408415]

sucks for Barnes that his teammates were openly recruiting his replacement for an entire season. It may have even affected his game. He got his money though. All those supposed "great teammates" in Golden State.

We offered him $16 m/year last year. He turned it down. He thought he was worth 4 years and 94 million supposedly after he went 5/32 in Games 5-7 of the Finals on uncontested shots. No sympathy for him.

Bogut, I legitimately feel sorry for since I liked him.

[baller16]

HAHAHAHAHA!!! Curry is pathetic. Man GS was so f***** desperate to get Durant. Boy, Curry sure is some 2x unanimous MVP

According to a person who saw the text messages, Curry told Durant in a text message that he could care less about who is the face of the franchise, who gets the most recognition or who sells the most shoes (Curry is with Under Armor, Durant with Nike). The two-time NBA MVP also told Durant that if Durant won the MVP award again he would be in the front row of the press conference clapping for him. In closing, Curry’s message to Durant was that all he truly cared about was winning championships and he’d like to do that as his teammate.

http://theundefeated.com/features/strength-in-numbers-convinced-kevin-durant-to-join-warriors/