The Truth of KD
The basketball world has been abuzz after Kevin Durant and Draymond Green had a verbal altercation following a poorly executed last possession. Apparently, Green went on a b-word laced tirade towards Durant and reminded him that the Warriors were winning without him. Allegedly, he went as far as to dare Durant to leave the team following the season. Oh how quickly we forget. Durant’s move to the Warriors was never a popular move to the masses, but but the misrepresentation of the facts from Draymond and the NBA community is getting a tad out of hand. Allow me to explain.
Following the 2016 NBA Finals, the Warriors found themselves in a tough situation. They had just blown a 3-1 lead despite breaking NBA records and setting new basketball precedents. I don’t believe people really know how devastating a loss like that can be. Some teams are never the same following losses of that magnitude. Look at the Seattle Seahawks after Super Bowl XLIX. After blowing the game at the one yard line, there was a bit of dysfunction that eventually split the team apart. That loss still haunts them to this day, and the mighty Legion of Boom was never the same. The loss in the 2016 Finals had the potential to have the same impact. A move needed to be made. Draymond knew that as well. So with tears in his eyes, he went to the parking lot of Oracle Arena and made a phone call to Kevin Durant. The same player he said the Warriors never needed. How ironic.
It seems Draymond’s rant has resonated with the NBA fans and media as well. A lot of people have been saying the Warriors never needed Durant in the first place. Please note that those are the same people that said the Warriors couldn’t beat a healthy Cavs team in 2015. Those same people were proven correct when the Cavs beat the Warriors in 2017. People are beginning to paint this picture that Durant is simply riding in the backseat of the Warriors bandwagon and collecting rings as he goes along. Again, how quickly we forget. Durant hasn’t been just riding along with the Warriors, he’s been leading from the front alongside Steph Curry. And before you laugh, please consider what Durant has brought to the team. When the Warriors have gone up against the Cavs in the Finals, Durant cancels out LeBron’s production. When guys didn’t have it, KD stepped up and stopped the bleeding. When the Warriors needed a big shot, KD hit them when needed. And most importantly, KD broke the strategy teams used against Warriors. KD makes guarding the Warriors extremely difficult. That doesn’t sound like someone who is just along for the ride. The Warriors needed Durant just as much as the Durant needed the Warriors. It was a mutual partnership.
Now, that partnership is closing in on its conclusion. As with many all-time great teams, the “disease of me” is beginning to infect the Warriors once ego-free locker room. The break-up was bound to happen as all sides got what they wanted. But let’s not paint the narrative that KD didn’t do his part or that the Warriors never needed him. And don’t let Draymond’s antics distract you from the fact that he was the guy who made the phone call to KD with tears in his eyes. So as you celebrate the Warriors eventual demise, please cut the crap. Stop hating a player who didn’t do things your way. Because at the end of the day, none of these players owe us anything more than 100 percent effort when they step out there on the floor. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to prepare myself for the jokes about KD writing this whole thing.
