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The full significance of Kevin Durant’s decision to leave Oklahoma City and join the Golden State Warriors has only just dawned on the majority of basketball fans.
Already a team that was re-writing history, Durant, a former MVP, joined at the start of the 2016-17 season. They have now finished it as NBA Champions while going on an unprecedented 15-game winning streak during the playoffs. Durant’s decision has ruined the 16-17 season, making it predictable, frustrating and quite simply, boring.
Kevin Durant is an incredibly gifted player, there is no denying that. The ‘Slim Reaper’ has impressive career averages of 27.2 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game and 4.8 assists per game. He is also a defensive presence, with averages of one block and 1.2 steals per game.
Not bad for a 7’0” small forward.
On top of these imposing averages is his immeasurable benefit to his team. Leadership qualities, a calm personality and ability to make clutch plays make him a true superstar on the court.
It’s necessary to note the events of the 2015-16 season to fully understand Durant’s decision. Then playing for Oklahoma, Durant and the Thunder lost the best-of-seven conference semi-finals to the Warriors after leading three games to one.
At that time, the Warriors, led by the first ever unanimous MVP, Stephen Curry, had just finished the best regular season on record. They had won 73 games, one better than Michael Jordan’s famous 95-96 Bulls team.
(Photo: AP)
Along with Draymond Green, the defensive beast, and Klay Thompson, the three-point sharpshooter, the Warriors were ultimately robbed in the Finals, losing to Cleveland in seven games.
This just combats the problem that Durant thought it necessary to join forces with three other bona fide superstars, creating another ‘super team’ in the West.
But hey, if you can’t beat them, join them.
The Warriors finished the 2016-17 season with 67 wins, securing their place on top of the Western Conference table.
Their playoff record is even more impressive. They won 15 games in a row and have now won the Championship after dropping just one game. Once Durant was added to their roster, the Golden State did an exceptional job adjusting during the regular season and hitting top form in the postseason.
Competition is the core element to all good sporting leagues. It’s what entertains and enthrals the audience. While the NBA boasts about showcasing the greatest athletes and talent in the world, their competition is piss weak.
Ring chasing is not exactly a new phenomenon (think Lebron James to Miami in 2010, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen to Boston in 2007, Dwight Howard to Los Angeles in 2012), but Durant’s decision was a class above the rest.
In the season before Lebron joined Miami, they were a mediocre team. Led by Dwayne Wade, they finished with 47 wins and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs.
Boston had a dismal season before Garnett and Allen, with only 24 wins.
An ailing Kobe Bryant led his beloved Lakers through a tough season before they were convincingly knocked out of the playoffs by the Thunder. The Lakers then traded for Howard in the offseason.
As a superstar of Durant’s calibre and ability, joining forces with a team that is statistically one of the best ever formed is downright cowardly. It should not be thrown in with the other blockbuster trade scenarios that have gone down in history.
(AP Photo/Tony Dejak)
Furthermore, his decision has created an environment of shortcuts. While teams like the Lakers and 76ers are forced to wait patiently on the development of their young players, teams like the Cavaliers, Bulls, Rockets and Spurs are furiously looking for another superstar to add to their roster and compete with Golden State.
Although there is significant excitement about these trades, with rumours already circulating about Chris Paul moving down to San Antonio, it’s ruining the competitiveness of the league.
With Durant now proof that a player can take blatant shortcuts to winning a championship, this trend will continue to worsen.
Congratulations on the championship, Golden State. You probably should’ve done it last year.
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