Kevin Durant was one of the best players in the league by the time the 2016 Playoffs rolled around. Since it was his ninth season in the league, expectations were high for KD to make a run in the postseason with the Oklahoma City Thunder four years after first making it into the NBA Finals.
However, Durant's OKC blew a 3-1 lead against the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference finals. Most people expected Kevin to run it back with Russell Westbrook and the Thunder, but he surprisingly left the team in free agency to join the team that beat them, the Warriors. It was one of the most unpopular decisions in NBA history, but Steve Nash , who coached him as an assistant at Golden State and a head coach with the Brooklyn Nets later on, understood what led the Slim Reaper to do that.
"I think Kevin was at the point in his life where he wanted to change. He wanted to be pushed as a man, as a basketball player in a new environment and maybe live in a different part of the world," Nash said to USA Today in 2017. "I think people look at it through the lens of he went to the best team, a team that just beat him because he wanted to win a championship."
Durant wanted to win a championship
While Kevin could have led the Thunder back into contention, the Warriors losing in the same fashion in the NBA Finals as OKC (blowing a 3-1 lead against the Cavs) meant they needed a boost. They contacted Durant since he was a free agent, and they were lucky enough to find that the 2014 MVP was willing to take the risk.
It was a worthwhile decision because Kevin led the team to two championships in 2017 and 2018, winning the Finals MVP on both occasions. He might not be as popular as he was with the fans, but he had two championships to his name, and he was the best player for both of those runs.
Related: Julius Erving believes no player is similar to him in the modern NBA: “I was a small forward, but I really played like a power forward”
KD will retire as one of the best
People like Walt Frazier might say the titles Durant won have asterisks on them, but that does not remove them from the history books. Durant proved he was the best player on one of the most talented teams in basketball history.
With two championships, KD cemented himself as one of the most decorated players ever. The former Texas Longhorn has an MVP, two Finals MVPs, 14 All-Star Game appearances, 11 All-NBA nods, four scoring titles, and four Olympic Gold medals.
Even though he will never be a fan favorite again, it's clear Kevin will be in the Hall of Fame one day because of these accolades.
Related: 54-year-old Chris Mullin once beat KD in a 3-point shootout inside Warriors gym
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