Kevin Durant signing with the Golden State Warriors in 2016 was a power play that remains debated to this day. After all, the Warriors were coming off a historic season that saw them shatter the Chicago Bulls' single-season wins record and come within one game of back-to-back titles. Adding KD to a stacked team with two-time MVP Stephen Curry and All-Stars Klay Thompson and Draymond Green seemed like a move intended to create an unbeatable super team.
But while many fans and analysts criticized Durant for taking the easy route to a championship, former NBA player Gilbert Arenas argues that it wasn't fair to put all the blame on him.
Everybody made fun of the Dubs
The rest of the NBA had fun at the Warriors' expense in the summer of 2016 after they blew a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals and lost to LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the Dubs had the last laugh as a few weeks after that disastrous Game 7 loss in the finals, they acquired former league MVP and all-time great.
"That summer—the summer we're laughing at the Golden State Warriors—it was enjoyable. It wasn't right, but it was fun. And then all of a sudden, they get arguably the number two or the number one best player in the league. Instead of people asking, 'Wait, y'all are weak for going after the number two or one player in the game to go back and beat the Cavs,' everyone talked about Kevin Durant," Arenas said on his podcast "Gil's Arena."
KD's reputation was torn to shreds by critics, experts, and even his fellow players, who thought the move was a weak move to join the already stacked Warriors. Arenas argues the rope should have been on the Warriors organization's neck, not on Durant.
"See, you push the narrative on Kevin Durant when the weakest person here would be the Golden State Warriors because you needed to go get the second-best player in the NBA to go back to beat LeBron James when LeBron James and them didn't get nobody," Arenas stressed. "They are the 73-9 team that went to go recruit so they can go and merk the rest of the NBA. Everybody put the narrative on KD for saying yes, but not the Golden State Warriors for going out and getting a bazooka."
Related: Jayson Tatum after spotting 77-year-old Mike Krzyzewski hitting the bench press: "He is an animal"
KD made his choice
However, co-host and former NBA player Rashad McCants begged to differ, arguing that Kevin was a man who made his bed and had to lie in it.
"The reality is, if Kevin Durant's available in free agency and there's 30 other teams that can get him, regardless of whether we need him or not, if we can add Kevin Durant to our team, it's going to drastically increase our chances of not only beating this ni*** who just beat us, but we can dominate the league. That ain't got nothing to do with our urgency to sign this ni***—it's the availability that he's available," the former North Carolina Tar Heel stated.
Rashad added that, at that point, numerous teams took their best shot at recruiting the potent bucket-getter. However, KD picked the Warriors, which ended up being the best choice as he went on to win two NBA titles and two NBA Finals MVPs.
"It just so happened the Warriors got him, but now you want to talk about the narrative as blame the Warriors. How? KD made the choice to go there. I offered. You made a choice. Yes. You could have said no, and you could have gone back—you didn't," McCants surmised.
Durant's move to the Warriors drastically altered the NBA landscape. Many critics felt joining an already stacked roster was weak, while others saw it as a strategic decision to secure championships. Regardless of opinions, Durant's time with the Warriors will always be remembered for his stellar performance on the court and the success he brought to the team.
Related: Kevin Durant says he gets distracted when baddies are in the stands: "When Rihanna walks in, it's hard not to notice her"
Local San Francisco, CA
Most Popular
Comments / 0