2014 NBA MVP, two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant this week took an interview with J.R. Moehringer of the Wall Street Journal. He talked about a lot of things including why he decided to leave the Golden State Warriors and joined the Brooklyn Nets, instead of returning to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors holds the trophies of the NBA Championship and the NBA Finals MVP after his team sweep the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the 2018 NBA Finals at the Quicken Loans Arena, June 8, 2018. /VCG Photo
Having played three seasons with the Warriors, KD reached the summit of his career in the Bay Area by making the Finals three times and winning back-to-back championships. In fact, many believed that if it were not for his injury, he could have won the third straight ring with the team last season.
As one of the top off-ball players in NBA history, Durant made the perfect pair with Golden State's give-and-go offensive system. Meanwhile, when the team's system did not work in the playoffs, KD, four-time NBA scoring champion and one of the best isolation scorers in the league's history would always be able to take over the game.
Klay Thompson #11, Draymond Green #23, Kevin Durant #35 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors pose to take photo befor the 2017-18 season. /VCG Photo
Judging by what happened on the court, anyone would assume Durant and GSW are the best choice for each other. However, Durant did not think so.
"I came in there wanting to be part of a group, wanting to be part of a family, and definitely felt accepted. But I’ll never be one of those guys. I didn’t get drafted there… Steph Curry, obviously drafted there. Andre Iguodala, won the first Finals, first championship. Klay Thompson, drafted there. Draymond Green, drafted there. And the rest of the guys kind of rehabilitated their careers there."
"As time went on, I started to realize I’m just different from the rest of the guys. It’s not a bad thing. Just my circumstances and how I came up in the league. And on top of that, the media always looked at it like KD and the Warriors. So it’s like nobody could get a full acceptance of me there. It didn’t feel as great as it could have been," Durant said to Moehringer.
Russell Westbrook #0 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Oklahoma City Thunder /VCG Photo
When KD left OKC in 2016 summer to join GSW, many saw his decision as the same as the one made by LeBron James in 2010 when he departed the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat. After three years, he already won two titles in the Warriors, just like James did in the Heat. As a result, some understandably expected KD to return to the team that had brought him to the NBA, again, just like James did when he returned to the Cavaliers in 2014 summer.
Again, Durant thought the opposite. He said that he does trust anybody in that city after how Thunder fans had reacted to his decision in 2016.
Fans of Oklahoma City Thunder jeer Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors in the game at the Chesapeake Energy Arena, February 11, 2017. /VCG Photo
"People coming to my house and spray-painting on the for sale signs around my neighborhood. People making videos in front of my house and burning my jerseys and calling me all types of crazy names."
"Such a venomous toxic feeling when I walked into that arena. And just the organization, the trainers and equipment managers, those dudes is pissed off at me? Ain't talking to me? I'm like, 'Yo, this is where we going with this? Because I left a team and went to play with another team?'"
"I'll never be attached to that city again because of that. I eventually wanted to come back to that city and be part of that community and organization, but I don't trust nobody there. That shxx must have been fake, what they was doing. The organization, the GM, I ain't talked to none of those people, even had a nice exchange with those people, since I left," said Durant.
Kevin Durant (R) will join Kyrie Irving (L) in the Brooklyn Nets in the new season. /VCG Photo
KD joined Brooklyn with a four-year, 164-million-U.S.-dollar contract this summer and he will be playing with his friend Kyrie Irving there. This time the good news for him is that the team have no leader so Durant should be able to take that title when he comes back healthy.
Copyright © 2018 CGTN. Beijing ICP prepared NO.16065310-3
Copyright © 2018 CGTN. Beijing ICP prepared NO.16065310-3