Barry Sanders
Barry>>>
Is that you Kevin?
Kevin Durant Signs With The Golden State Warriors
While I personally wished KD stayed just one more year in OKC, because I thought KD/Russ/Dipo/Adams was going to be enough to get it done, at the end of the day it comes down to this...
1. Kevin Durant is already an all time great player despite ya'll feelings and name calling. Arguing against this just makes you look homotional and dumb. Fact.
2. Had Russ not gotten hurt for one run, Serge for another run, and KD two seasons ago, OKC would most likely have gotten at least a ring by now if not two. Not a fact, but a lot of ya'll go a little extra with the trashing of KD being a "loser" like that Thunder team didn't have a plethora of unfortunate injuries, which looks even worse when you consider....
3. The Thunder organization was cheap in surrounding KD and Russ with pieces that fit properly, going as far as to trade Harden instead of paying him. Fact. And I don't want to hear about the Oladpio acquisition. That doesn't make up for Dion Waiters, Randy Foye, trading Harden which forced Ibaka to mutate his game into some goofy stretch 4 that is nowhere near as good as he once was, Andre Roberson, Kendrick Perkkins, Jeremy Lamb, etc, etc, etc. The Thunder being as great as they were is strictly a testament to KD and Russ's greatness. They won in spite of their inept coach Scott Brooks and their goofy supporting cast.
4. Kevin Durant fulfilled his contract to the team TWICE and owed them nothing. Fact.
5. Despite their greatness, KD and Russ were never the perfect fit for each other because Russ needed the ball in his hands at all times and mostly refused to yield to his teammate who was better and more efficient than he was. Durant is a much better fit with a player like Curry who is more efficient and more willing of a passer. He said all the right things and clearly loved Russ like a brother, but I do not believed he thoroughly enjoyed playing with a guy like that. Fact. KD's game also never looked smoother and more effortless than when Russ missed a large portion of the 2013-2014 season and KD went on his MVP run. Bonus fact.
6. As much as people want to say KD is hopping on the easy route by joining a 73-9 team that beat him, I just want to remind everyone (sorry, @Blackthoughts) that 73-9 TEAM LOST. THEY DID NOT WIN. THEY FAILED. I don't wanna hear about "Oh they woulda got it done the following year." Ummmmm how do you know that? They were going to be worse, if not talent wise, most definitely psychologically, and the league was not going to see them with the same air of mystique. The Warriors were so mesmerizing throughout the year that nikkas done blacked out and forgot what Bron and Kyrie did to them in the end
7. Despite KD's greatness, he never played on a team with smart, tactical coaches, or selfless, tactical teammates. These circumstances make his efficient, eye-popping statistics even more impressive. But as great as he is, there is still room for him to be even better, but it was never going to happen in that organization with those teammates. You guys might think he's just making up shyt when he says he's ready to evolve as a player, but being on a Warrior team with that ball movement, with the offensive and defensive schemes...I truly believe we are about the witness the best player in the world next year. He never was going to maximize his peak potential in a Thunder uniform.
8. The all time great players you guys adore(justifiably) that won with their teams and never "abandoned their squad to cheat their way to a win" PLAYED FOR ORGANIZATIONS WHO WERE FULLY COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT IT TOOK TO WIN. WTF would Larry Bird leave when the team brought him Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish, and Dennis Johnson? WTF would Kobe leave when he had Shaq and the second best coach ever? When Kobe threatened to leave after that, the Lakers brought him Pau Gasol, Andruw Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest! shyt, they ALMOST brought him CHRIS PAUL. Magic played with Kareem and Worthy and had Pat Riley. Tim Duncan played under the GOAT coach and had teammates such as David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginoubli, and Kawhi Leonard. Michael Jordan is the GOAT and in a category of his own, but he played and won all his championships with another all time great in Scottie Pippen. Three of them with Rodman...all with Phil.
9. Despite what you guys are saying about LeBron going to Miami and KD going to Golden State being different, and I agree they are, the one primary similarity is that both players left their team for "guaranteed" championships. Let's not get it twisted, because LeBron choking against Dallas year 1 might have made people's memory fuzzy, but there was NO WAY that Heat team wasn't going to win multiple rings. Let's make that VERY clear. You paired LeBron with the 3rd best 2 guard of all time and Chris Bosh in a weak ass east conference with smart, proven veterans? Guaranteed rings, and it really should have been 3. I don't hold that against LeBron or put an asterix next to two of his three rings. It just is what it is. And when he thought the Heat reached their peak, he went to play with Kyrie and Love - a team he assumed was guaranteed to win(this was before GSW emerged). You still gotta go out there and execute, stay healthy, and win. You nikkas acting like LAC, SA, CLE, and all these up and coming teams ain't about to at least make GSW work for it at times. My Pacers too
10. WTF should he have gone anywhere else but the Warriors? Because they blew a 3-1 lead against them? The Warriors went on to do the same thing. You clowns saying "it's not about him leaving. It's about where he went to" sound silly. Go to a less optimal situation in LAC, Boston, Miami, or SA because you lost to a team who also went on to lose, brehs. It'd be different if GSW took home the championship, but they didn't...
11. Ya'll can say what ya'll want about him taking the easy route or that he's "cheating" (), but had KD never got it done in OKC, he would have always been seen as another great player who never could win the big one. If GSW wins multiple championships, which they should if healthy, his career will be fulfilled. You can call him a ring chaser, or a beta, a servant, but you're also gonna have to call him the greatest scorer of his generation - perhaps ever - who morphed into an all around superstar.....
...and you'll also have to call him a champion
wade had already won a title
the stupidity on this is site is
And he hadn't been past the 1st round since, Michael Beasley was the 2nd best player on the team before LeBron got there. The Heat were trending downward.
Joining the team you just faced in the WCF. I think that is pretty unprecedented in major sports. It's like he's saying fukk competition, I just want my ring. I understand that he wants it that badly but I can't respect it from a competition stand point. And as others said, he failed the team by playing poorly. Which makes it even worse.
While I personally wished KD stayed just one more year in OKC, because I thought KD/Russ/Dipo/Adams was going to be enough to get it done, at the end of the day it comes down to this...
1. Kevin Durant is already an all time great player despite ya'll feelings and name calling. Arguing against this just makes you look homotional and dumb. Fact.
2. Had Russ not gotten hurt for one run, Serge for another run, and KD two seasons ago, OKC would most likely have gotten at least a ring by now if not two. Not a fact, but a lot of ya'll go a little extra with the trashing of KD being a "loser" like that Thunder team didn't have a plethora of unfortunate injuries, which looks even worse when you consider....
3. The Thunder organization was cheap in surrounding KD and Russ with pieces that fit properly, going as far as to trade Harden instead of paying him. Fact. And I don't want to hear about the Oladpio acquisition. That doesn't make up for Dion Waiters, Randy Foye, trading Harden which forced Ibaka to mutate his game into some goofy stretch 4 that is nowhere near as good as he once was, Andre Roberson, Kendrick Perkkins, Jeremy Lamb, etc, etc, etc. The Thunder being as great as they were is strictly a testament to KD and Russ's greatness. They won in spite of their inept coach Scott Brooks and their goofy supporting cast.
4. Kevin Durant fulfilled his contract to the team TWICE and owed them nothing. Fact.
5. Despite their greatness, KD and Russ were never the perfect fit for each other because Russ needed the ball in his hands at all times and mostly refused to yield to his teammate who was better and more efficient than he was. Durant is a much better fit with a player like Curry who is more efficient and more willing of a passer. He said all the right things and clearly loved Russ like a brother, but I do not believed he thoroughly enjoyed playing with a guy like that. Fact. KD's game also never looked smoother and more effortless than when Russ missed a large portion of the 2013-2014 season and KD went on his MVP run. Bonus fact.
6. As much as people want to say KD is hopping on the easy route by joining a 73-9 team that beat him, I just want to remind everyone (sorry, @Blackthoughts) that 73-9 TEAM LOST. THEY DID NOT WIN. THEY FAILED. I don't wanna hear about "Oh they woulda got it done the following year." Ummmmm how do you know that? They were going to be worse, if not talent wise, most definitely psychologically, and the league was not going to see them with the same air of mystique. The Warriors were so mesmerizing throughout the year that nikkas done blacked out and forgot what Bron and Kyrie did to them in the end
7. Despite KD's greatness, he never played on a team with smart, tactical coaches, or selfless, tactical teammates. These circumstances make his efficient, eye-popping statistics even more impressive. But as great as he is, there is still room for him to be even better, but it was never going to happen in that organization with those teammates. You guys might think he's just making up shyt when he says he's ready to evolve as a player, but being on a Warrior team with that ball movement, with the offensive and defensive schemes...I truly believe we are about the witness the best player in the world next year. He never was going to maximize his peak potential in a Thunder uniform.
8. The all time great players you guys adore(justifiably) that won with their teams and never "abandoned their squad to cheat their way to a win" PLAYED FOR ORGANIZATIONS WHO WERE FULLY COMMITTED TO DOING WHAT IT TOOK TO WIN. WTF would Larry Bird leave when the team brought him Kevin McHale, Robert Parrish, and Dennis Johnson? WTF would Kobe leave when he had Shaq and the second best coach ever? When Kobe threatened to leave after that, the Lakers brought him Pau Gasol, Andruw Bynum, Lamar Odom, and Ron Artest! shyt, they ALMOST brought him CHRIS PAUL. Magic played with Kareem and Worthy and had Pat Riley. Tim Duncan played under the GOAT coach and had teammates such as David Robinson, Tony Parker, Manu Ginoubli, and Kawhi Leonard. Michael Jordan is the GOAT and in a category of his own, but he played and won all his championships with another all time great in Scottie Pippen. Three of them with Rodman...all with Phil.
9. Despite what you guys are saying about LeBron going to Miami and KD going to Golden State being different, and I agree they are, the one primary similarity is that both players left their team for "guaranteed" championships. Let's not get it twisted, because LeBron choking against Dallas year 1 might have made people's memory fuzzy, but there was NO WAY that Heat team wasn't going to win multiple rings. Let's make that VERY clear. You paired LeBron with the 3rd best 2 guard of all time and Chris Bosh in a weak ass east conference with smart, proven veterans? Guaranteed rings, and it really should have been 3. I don't hold that against LeBron or put an asterix next to two of his three rings. It just is what it is. And when he thought the Heat reached their peak, he went to play with Kyrie and Love - a team he assumed was guaranteed to win(this was before GSW emerged). You still gotta go out there and execute, stay healthy, and win. You nikkas acting like LAC, SA, CLE, and all these up and coming teams ain't about to at least make GSW work for it at times. My Pacers too
10. WTF should he have gone anywhere else but the Warriors? Because they blew a 3-1 lead against them? The Warriors went on to do the same thing. You clowns saying "it's not about him leaving. It's about where he went to" sound silly. Go to a less optimal situation in LAC, Boston, Miami, or SA because you lost to a team who also went on to lose, brehs. It'd be different if GSW took home the championship, but they didn't...
11. Ya'll can say what ya'll want about him taking the easy route or that he's "cheating" (
...and you'll also have to call him a champion
Youre the type of simple n*gga to fall for a pyramid scheme
He came back to cleveland cuz they had a lot of talent/assets and they were much younger than miami. Giving him a longer window to contend
He wasnt going back to cleveland if they had drafted derrick williams over kyrie
Playing at home was just a bonus
Had Cleveland made the playoffs? They hadn't done shyt. FOH! KD went to a team that was already 73-9. Not remotely similar
Ok we get it, you love lebron
but only an idiot would act like its not comparable just because name value.
The caves were a 61 win team and lost to a team with with dwight howard and hedo as the 2 best players
I love how people try to act like LeBrons team was trash and try to big up Dwights team
They both left there contending teams to team up and join juggernauts
STOP!!!
breh
they went 61-21
the next season without bron they were 19-63
are u willing to bet OKC will only win 19 games obviously if they dont trade westbrook
u comparing apples n oranges
Lebron said he was gonna take a paycut so he could play with wade, melo and chris paul
Dont be mad cuz durant called his bluff
Brief Keef
Superstar
word chess not checkers everybody play the game some play it better nikkas act like KD was gon sit there and let bron stack rings
While I 100% can see why one would question his competitive edge after going to the team that just beat him, I still ain't even mad at him 
Off top I'd rather live in the bay before OKC, so that's a major lifestyle upgrade that can't be overlooked
. fukk the haters you gotta go live & work somewhere YOU feel good about, fukk all these fans wanting their fairy tale sports stories & superstar expectations, this is REAL life. You're the one who has to LIVE with the decision, so you can't be bothered by all the mindless internet banter surrounding your choices. Do you.
Of course you can say he took the easy way out but joining an all time great team in this capacity is unprecedented. This is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity & as reports are saying, they sold him on the expectation that they'd be a dynasty unlike anything the league has seen before. might as well sign that 2 year deal and say fukk it, let's see what happens :stephjax:. If they live up to expectations they'll win multiple championships & everything will fall into place as it should. If not, he bounces and goes somewhere else. He still has options.
He knew it would be an extremely controversial decision but he doesn't care, people would've called him an underachiever if he didn't win. I've said this before, people always say "so & so should go somewhere to maximize their chances at a championship" so what's that threshold between "you're going to a weak team, you should stay where you're at or go to a true contender" & "this team is too good for you to join, this is a bad decision" ?
As sports FANS of course we always want the fairy tale ending and epic heroic conquests, but shiiiiiiit, nikkas tryna win, get paid, and live somewhere nice. Can't say GS is a bad choice in that regard
Y'all can say he's a beta male & gonna be a role player all you want
, but if they end up winning multiple championships, his decision will look like a smart one in retrospect. If they end up winning championships then I'm sure he'll have some great playoff moments to cement his legacy
I actually think he will be their leading scorer and eventual face of the franchise anyway IF they end up winning like we expect them to. No more hero ball like in OKC all this fool needs to do is drive the lanes or catch & shoot his way to a scoring title.
Off top I'd rather live in the bay before OKC, so that's a major lifestyle upgrade that can't be overlooked
. fukk the haters you gotta go live & work somewhere YOU feel good about, fukk all these fans wanting their fairy tale sports stories & superstar expectations, this is REAL life. You're the one who has to LIVE with the decision, so you can't be bothered by all the mindless internet banter surrounding your choices. Do you.Of course you can say he took the easy way out but joining an all time great team in this capacity is unprecedented. This is literally a once in a lifetime opportunity & as reports are saying, they sold him on the expectation that they'd be a dynasty unlike anything the league has seen before. might as well sign that 2 year deal and say fukk it, let's see what happens :stephjax:. If they live up to expectations they'll win multiple championships & everything will fall into place as it should. If not, he bounces and goes somewhere else. He still has options.
He knew it would be an extremely controversial decision but he doesn't care, people would've called him an underachiever if he didn't win. I've said this before, people always say "so & so should go somewhere to maximize their chances at a championship" so what's that threshold between "you're going to a weak team, you should stay where you're at or go to a true contender" & "this team is too good for you to join, this is a bad decision" ?
As sports FANS of course we always want the fairy tale ending and epic heroic conquests, but shiiiiiiit, nikkas tryna win, get paid, and live somewhere nice. Can't say GS is a bad choice in that regard
Y'all can say he's a beta male & gonna be a role player all you want
, but if they end up winning multiple championships, his decision will look like a smart one in retrospect. If they end up winning championships then I'm sure he'll have some great playoff moments to cement his legacyI actually think he will be their leading scorer and eventual face of the franchise anyway IF they end up winning like we expect them to. No more hero ball like in OKC all this fool needs to do is drive the lanes or catch & shoot his way to a scoring title.
Once again, the move was not the same as LeBron. BUT SIMILARITY is that LeBron went to a team that he knew DAMN WELL he was going to win with.
We gonna get selective memory and forget the "Not 1, not 2, not 3, not 4, not 5, not 6, not 7..." speech LeBron gave about all the championships they were going to win? LeBron said fukk it I need my ring and I'm going to put myself in a position that essentially guarantees I do by teaming with Wade and Bosh. Durant did the same thing. I am not denying the drastic differences. YA'LL are denying the similarities.
GoddamnyamanProf
Countdown to Armageddon
Stop it, no one's pressed to hate on KD. He isnt even a polarizing figure. Ive been a huge KD fan but a bytch move is a bytch move and Im not gonna sugarcoat it - this is unprecedented levels of bytchassness and people arent gonna just excuse it. This is one of the first things people will associate with him now from here on out. They could win multiple titles and no one is gonna put KD above guys that did it as the man and didnt run off and join the guys that just beat his squad.
Thats just part of the decision he made, gotta lay in your bed now