Durant looks worse everytime he talks about his decision

[ThumbsUpBaby]

It's always a question that can and will come up about any players' decision (But, i guess he is a sought-after player by every team). Is he suppose to say it was a mistake and he wanted to actually go to Charlotte or something?

Remember when Kareem went to Lakers? Wilt Chamberlain? Shaq? Karl Malone and Payton to Lakers? Pau Gasol to Lakers? KG and Ray Allen to Celtics?

Ya'll act like this has happened for the first time ever in this sport. Can't control their decision. Deal with it or cry a river somewhere.

The examples you gave is irrelevant to what KD did. It really doesn't make a point in anything. What KD has done has never been done before. All the players you pointed out were either traded to their respective teams or were FAs joining a team that weren't contenders (excluding Karl Malone and Payton). The Celtics, Lakers, and the Heat weren't contenders PRIOR to players getting traded or signed. This is the first time a Top 3 player in the league joined a historic team that won 73 games and made it to the Finals and were 1 win away from winning it all. I really don't understand why people bring up the past when it's like comparing apples to oranges

You can continue your crying...I have a shoulder for you.

Their....they're....there

I don't want your shoulders.

[baller16]

LeBron is being discussed as the GOAT now after jumping to 2 mega teams. Please give me a break, people WILL forget this because they are dumb and only remember what they do lately. If Cavs don't repeat believe people will go back to him being a choker, not close to Jordan etc. Its the nature of the spotlight and winning cures all. Sad as it is.

LeBron made those teams great. There is a very clear difference here.

Yup and those 2 other all stars he had sure helped too on both teams. Look id love to have 1 all star let alone 3. The argument for either of these players/teams is insane. They both jumped ship and LeBron clearly benefited both times and Durant saw this and followed suit.

If you really think Lebron's decision is equivalent to Durant's, you're out of your **** mind.

[chrisab123]

“I was telling one of my friends, Rich (Kleiman, his agent), who’s here, we were watching Game 7 [of the finals]. Well, as it started to unfold, it was, ‘No question, no way could you go to this team.’ And I was just like a kid, like, in a candy shop," said Durant.

"I’d get wide open 3s, I could just run up and down the court, get wide open layups. I was basically begging him. I was like, yo, this would be nice...."

http://basketball.realgm.com/wiretap/243568/Kevin-Durant-Admits-Warriors-Finals-Loss-Made-Decision-Easier

.

Not sure if he means to sound like this, but he is pretty much saying that when he met with Boston and OKC his decision was already made. Whatever, he made his bed and they'll probably win the title but his image is done. Any other choice he could have made would have been understood and his image would have remained intact. Instead, you go to the 73 win Warriors to be the 2 or 3 option because you have a Beta personality.

[RLPH]

It's always a question that can and will come up about any players' decision (But, i guess he is a sought-after player by every team). Is he suppose to say it was a mistake and he wanted to actually go to Charlotte or something?

Remember when Kareem went to Lakers? Wilt Chamberlain? Shaq? Karl Malone and Payton to Lakers? Pau Gasol to Lakers? KG and Ray Allen to Celtics?

Ya'll act like this has happened for the first time ever in this sport. Can't control their decision. Deal with it or cry a river somewhere.

The examples you gave is irrelevant to what KD did. It really doesn't make a point in anything. What KD has done has never been done before. All the players you pointed out were either traded to their respective teams or were FAs joining a team that weren't contenders (excluding Karl Malone and Payton). The Celtics, Lakers, and the Heat weren't contenders PRIOR to players getting traded or signed. This is the first time a Top 3 player in the league joined a historic team that won 73 games and made it to the Finals and were 1 win away from winning it all. I really don't understand why people bring up the past when it's like comparing apples to oranges

You can continue your crying...I have a shoulder for you.

Their....they're....there

dude say what you want, but this situation is like Shaq joining the Bulls in 1996 instead of Lakers

go ahead and laugh but it's what it is

personally I love KD and I wish he just stopped talking ****

[Hangtime84]

The examples you gave is irrelevant to what KD did. It really doesn't make a point in anything. What KD has done has never been done before. All the players you pointed out were either traded to their respective teams or were FAs joining a team that weren't contenders (excluding Karl Malone and Payton). The Celtics, Lakers, and the Heat weren't contenders PRIOR to players getting traded or signed. This is the first time a Top 3 player in the league joined a historic team that won 73 games and made it to the Finals and were 1 win away from winning it all. I really don't understand why people bring up the past when it's like comparing apples to oranges

You can continue your crying...I have a shoulder for you.

Their....they're....there

I don't want your shoulders.

Don't worry with all the draft picks boston will be a super power in the NBA soon enough.

[B_Creamy]

Anyone can bash Durant except LeBron fans. The guy teamed up with a top 3 player and a 25/10 PF in the Eastern Conference to win, and when the two declined he jumps ship to join a top 5 PG and arguably the best big man in the league at the time.

Lol LeBron fans can bash Durant to death. He joined two very unproven players in a young Kyrie Irving and while you can claim he was 'arguably' the best big man in the league the results clearly speak for themselves and he's put up Big 3 Bosh numbers, or arguably worse.
Durant on the other hand chose to join

-Best team ever
-Clear cut best PG and player in the game
-Top 2 Shooting Guard who plays both ends
-DPOY Top 7 or so player at worst
- Still have Iguodala and Livingston, plus West. Don't forget Zaza.

They're incomparable. Even if you equate Wade with Curry, Green kills Bosh, and Klay just makes it ridiculous. Add a two time COTY and you have what everyone would call "complete overkill" and the ruination of the next few years of the NBA. Unless there's a dramatic injury...

[B_Creamy]

You can continue your crying...I have a shoulder for you.

Their....they're....there

I don't want your shoulders.

Don't worry with all the draft picks boston will be a super power in the NBA soon enough.

You're a fool. Say something of value.

[qm22]

I don't really care what Durant's reasons are. He can do whatever the hell he wants. The only thing I'm interested in is whether this was a factor in blowing the 3-1 lead in the WCF.

I like basketball, I don't like the Warriors much, still excited for the season. There's still basketball when other teams play. The NBA and basketball isn't just about who wins in the finals. From a basketball point of view, it's nice to see a stacked team sometimes and a developing team at other times. The thing I really hate watching is a bad team that has no plan or development vision. I was a Pistons fan when Lawrence Frank was coach and busy trying to get fired. He'd play Kyle Singler like LeBron. I'm not sure if he did it because he hated Singler or hated us fans. Anyway, I can say that if you like basketball, that's the type of thing you don't want to see. A great team is a good thing for basketball fans.

If they are super dominant than it's going to be fun to measure your team competing them. E.g., the Lillard vs. Curry matchups last year. In the 2000s there were quite a lot of people saying LA was going to win and it was inevitable; "no point in watching basketball". But, it was fun seeing your team go up against them. Ben Wallace vs. Shaq is what I looked forward to. Well, that doesn't support my point if you think of 2004, but I enjoy good basketball. I always respect the winner as the best performing team and enjoy the basketball as its on the floor actually happening. Going back to 04, I was pumped. Not sure we would beat LA, but I thought it could happen, and it was pretty sweet to see it. And finally, I doubt the Warriors are favored vs. the field. Especially when wing players have high variance and the Warriors dominance has strongly declined in their post-season runs since breaking out.

Another interesting aspect of this as a case study is the variance of wing players. It's the most stacked wing-oriented team in ages. If they can't win the title, it may say a lot about the Warriors team paradigm.

(Side note: going back to the 04 comparison when there was the "superteam" that was so stacked the media thought the season would be a formality...it was really fun watching the disappearing act of those downers once they were proven wrong. They all resorted to some desperate narratives about "playing like a team", "playing the right way" to explain the "miracle", and to the end, they never brought up a basketball-play form of analysis into the story. So yeah, I always ignored the guys who complain about teams being "too stacked", especially those that lament the season being pointless. I think it just means they don't like basketball itself very much.)

[NW]

slightly off-topic, but am i the only one tired of hearing about how much more fun GS has than everyone else? it's so insufferably arrogant - which i suppose does fit their organization to a tee - but they make it seem as if everyone else in the nba is some johnny lunchpail sucker just going through the daily drudgery of being an nba player while they've got it all figured out. distasteful.

Is it arrogant if it's true? Because players have been saying that when they come to GS going back to the Mark Jackson days.

Jarrett Jack said it was the most fun he had in a season
Igudola said the same (also, like Durant, joined GSW after being eliminated by them in the playoffs) - that he noticed the fun they were having in that playoff series and he wanted to be a part of it.
Varajao - coming off the Instagram fun crew of his buddy LeBron - said he was taken aback by the fun and selflessness of the Warriors.

[NW]

Anyone can bash Durant except LeBron fans. The guy teamed up with a top 3 player and a 25/10 PF in the Eastern Conference to win, and when the two declined he jumps ship to join a top 5 PG and arguably the best big man in the league at the time.

Lol LeBron fans can bash Durant to death. He joined two very unproven players in a young Kyrie Irving and while you can claim he was 'arguably' the best big man in the league the results clearly speak for themselves and he's put up Big 3 Bosh numbers, or arguably worse.
Durant on the other hand chose to join

-Best team ever
-Clear cut best PG and player in the game
-Top 2 Shooting Guard who plays both ends
-DPOY Top 7 or so player at worst
- Still have Iguodala and Livingston, plus West. Don't forget Zaza.

They're incomparable. Even if you equate Wade with Curry, Green kills Bosh, and Klay just makes it ridiculous. Add a two time COTY and you have what everyone would call "complete overkill" and the ruination of the next few years of the NBA. Unless there's a dramatic injury...

Yeah, that LeBron is quite the gambler teaming up with Wade and Bosh and then Kyrie and Love. So Durant is worst cause the team he joined has a little more depth? Come on

[Bergmaniac]

I laughed when people claimed that GSW losing the Finals makes it more likely for him to join them, but it turned out it's true. It's his career, but it's such a bizarre reason to make a huge choice.

[northoakland510]

How can you say he is not a competitor when tried with OKC for 9 seasons? It didn't work out so he moved on that's life.

[NxtGr8MagicCntr]

Did you forget that before Lebron left his best teammate he ever played with was MO WILLIAMS?

Well he was an all star lol. So LeBron's allowed to be on a super team because he couldn't win?? His mega team literally steam rolled the east setting many records along the way and then went on to beat the 73-9 best regular season team of all time. I guess I should feel bad for LeBron...he has had it rough. Can't be mad at one and not the other. Durant wussed out and LeBron did it too. If Durant wins even 1 ring he isn't a loser anymore no matter what. Just like LeBron did to get rid of the choker label.

LeBron's Cavs "mega-team" was one of the worst teams in the league by record, SRS and NetRtg without him.
Durant's new team was beating playoff teams even without its best player, the MVP of the last 2 years.
The supporting cast Durant LEFT was better than the one on LeBron's "mega-team" and just entering its prime age-wise. He almost won against the Warriors while playing much worse than LeBron (hilariously even shooting 3s at close to 10% lower percentage).
His new "supporting cast" would be the title favorite without him.

I don't blame Durant for living his life the way he wants to (aside from publicly insinuating his old mates are selfish, joyless bores that are no fun to be around and have no idea how to properly play basketball) but in terms of competitiveness his move is less justifiable than LeBron leaving the Cavs for the Warriors would have been.

LeBrons mega team was bad without him? How do you know that? The few games he sat injured? Klove and LeBron joined the same time. Anyway I really don't want to get into these wars with fan boys. I gotta a magic game to go to tonight. I could care less about these 2 bought teams.

[crazy_me_87]

Have people forgot everything about Lebron joining Wade and Bosh in Miami?
They where mostly unproven,unproven coach.. they had no depth and bench.. like at all.
Where a 40 something Win Team and 1st Round Exit before..

If you cant see why thats different from joining a 73 Win Team that won the title 2 seasons ago with a 2 Time MVP and 2 other ALL NBA Players i dont know what you are thinking..

[bondom34]

Well he was an all star lol. So LeBron's allowed to be on a super team because he couldn't win?? His mega team literally steam rolled the east setting many records along the way and then went on to beat the 73-9 best regular season team of all time. I guess I should feel bad for LeBron...he has had it rough. Can't be mad at one and not the other. Durant wussed out and LeBron did it too. If Durant wins even 1 ring he isn't a loser anymore no matter what. Just like LeBron did to get rid of the choker label.

LeBron's Cavs "mega-team" was one of the worst teams in the league by record, SRS and NetRtg without him.
Durant's new team was beating playoff teams even without its best player, the MVP of the last 2 years.
The supporting cast Durant LEFT was better than the one on LeBron's "mega-team" and just entering its prime age-wise. He almost won against the Warriors while playing much worse than LeBron (hilariously even shooting 3s at close to 10% lower percentage).
His new "supporting cast" would be the title favorite without him.

I don't blame Durant for living his life the way he wants to (aside from publicly insinuating his old mates are selfish, joyless bores that are no fun to be around and have no idea how to properly play basketball) but in terms of competitiveness his move is less justifiable than LeBron leaving the Cavs for the Warriors would have been.

LeBrons mega team was bad without him? How do you know that? The few games he sat injured? Klove and LeBron joined the same time. Anyway I really don't want to get into these wars with fan boys. I gotta a magic game to go to tonight. I could care less about these 2 bought teams.

Mo Williams and a near 40 year old Shaq were the 2 best players on those early Cavs teams

[NxtGr8MagicCntr]

LeBron's Cavs "mega-team" was one of the worst teams in the league by record, SRS and NetRtg without him.
Durant's new team was beating playoff teams even without its best player, the MVP of the last 2 years.
The supporting cast Durant LEFT was better than the one on LeBron's "mega-team" and just entering its prime age-wise. He almost won against the Warriors while playing much worse than LeBron (hilariously even shooting 3s at close to 10% lower percentage).
His new "supporting cast" would be the title favorite without him.

I don't blame Durant for living his life the way he wants to (aside from publicly insinuating his old mates are selfish, joyless bores that are no fun to be around and have no idea how to properly play basketball) but in terms of competitiveness his move is less justifiable than LeBron leaving the Cavs for the Warriors would have been.

LeBrons mega team was bad without him? How do you know that? The few games he sat injured? Klove and LeBron joined the same time. Anyway I really don't want to get into these wars with fan boys. I gotta a magic game to go to tonight. I could care less about these 2 bought teams.

Mo Williams and a near 40 year old Shaq were the 2 best players on those early Cavs teams

I know that team sucked. Im referencing the CHAMPION Cavs from last year, the one that beat the 73-9 warrriors and set records. Guess I wasn't clear enough if people are really thinking I met the 09 Cavs lmao. Wow

[Devils Advocate]

How can you say he is not a competitor when tried with OKC for 9 seasons? It didn't work out so he moved on that's life.

I don't understand how you can say he tried for 9 seasons and it didn't work out. He had success and made it to the finals with OKC. Then he almost went to the finals last year. That is why people feel it was a weak move to join a team that you lost to in the western conference finals after blowing a 3-1 lead. Especially when he individually shot them out of a few games and was a turnover machine. It should be hard to get that point of view. Just like people should understand GSW fans are happy to have him and will defend him like they do all of their players.

[NW]

Have people forgot everything about Lebron joining Wade and Bosh in Miami?
They where mostly unproven,unproven coach.. they had no depth and bench.. like at all.
Where a 40 something Win Team and 1st Round Exit before..

If you cant see why thats different from joining a 73 Win Team that won the title 2 seasons ago with a 2 Time MVP and 2 other ALL NBA Players i dont know what you are thinking..

Miami was clearing roster and money to make the Bosh and LeBron run. Of course they stunk the year before - but that wasn't the team LeBron was joining. He was joining the one with Bosh and Wade that would not have been 40 wins and a first round exit. You think if Bosh came a year earlier and he and Wade's Heat knocked the Cavs out that LeBron wouldn't have still come?

As for the coach, they had Riley waiting in the wings if Spolstra bombed. That wasn't a gamble either.

[sfhand]

Except we do know this text did happen. Which is the problem. And I guarantee Russ wasn't texting opponents.

You can't guarantee anything about anyone other than yourself...

No, I can.

Sure you can... there are plenty of worthless guarantees in this world, what's one more?

[NW]

How can you say he is not a competitor when tried with OKC for 9 seasons? It didn't work out so he moved on that's life.

I don't understand how you can say he tried for 9 seasons and it didn't work out. He had success and made it to the finals with OKC. Then he almost went to the finals last year. That is why people feel it was a weak move to join a team that you lost to in the western conference finals after blowing a 3-1 lead. Especially when he individually shot them out of a few games and was a turnover machine. It should be hard to get that point of view. Just like people should understand GSW fans are happy to have him and will defend him like they do all of their players.

He also went to the WCF four times and only made the Finals once. Last year's loss wasn't the first time the Thunder came up short. This whole "he joined the team that beat him" is ridiculous to me. The guy didn't just get interested in the Warriors last Spring. All reports were that Durant had interest in GSW going back to before GS won the title - before the title, before the 73 wins and before the WCF.

So he's supposed to be less interested because the team has gotten BETTER since he first got interested in them?

in comparison, LeBron/Bosh/Wade had the Big 3 plan years in advance. Had the Heat knocked the Cavs out of the playoffs before the FA year got there, do you think LeBron would have just changed his mind and said, "Nah, I'll stay in Cleveland. Not going to a team who beat me"?

Come on now