By Dominic E. Arenas Jr.
Kevin Durant’s decision to join the Golden State Warriors will mean the emergence of a new villain and an even greater basketball powerhouse for years to come. As the final horn of Game 7 pierced the hearts of the Warriors and “Dub Nation” faithfuls, Kevin Durant (internally) lauded Kyrie Irving as the real MVP. As Durant saw the Finals unfold as an outsider looking in, he couldn’t help but feel happy. Had Draymond Green not been suspended in Game 5 or Kyrie Irving not hit a dagger in the closing minutes of the NBA Finals, fans wouldn’t get to see KD alongside the best shooting backcourt.
With the dawn of a new NBA season and Durant’s 10th year as a pro, fans can expect the emergence of a new and unexpected villain. According to fellow Team USA member and star center for the Sacramento Kings, Demarcus Cousins, Durant is the nicest man in the league. During his acceptance speech for most valuable player in the 2013-14 season the guy called his mother, the real MVP. KD also teamed up with Nike for the “Build it They Will Ball” campaign to increase the number of high quality basketball courts accessible to underprivileged youth across the United States and internationally.
It was fitting KD signed his contract on Fourth of July. On that glorious day in American history, a global powerhouse was born. Fast forward 240 years later, Kevin Durant’s decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder would signal a paradigm shift in the NBA. Add one of the most talented and athletic players in the league to a team that broke the single season win total and what do you get? The Avengers, the Monstars and the 1992 USA “Dream Team” all wrapped into one.
Aside from the KD acquisition, the Golden State Warriors have built a franchise out of nothing. Rewind five years ago, and the Warriors consisted of a very streaky Klay Thompson, a handful of D-League call ups, and a regularly absent and inefficient Steph Curry.
Why all the hate? Is Kevin Durant’s decision bad for basketball? To answer this question, fans should consider a statement by the polarizing Draymond Green. When responding to Paul Pierce’s criticism on the Warriors’ superteam, Green said, “Nobody complain when somebody leave Apple and go to Google. Aren’t they in competition with each other? Nobody talk junk about the CEO who leaves Apple and goes to Google. As a basketball player, you are the CEO of a business. You are a business. Kevin Durant is a big business.”
The hate comes from the unfathomability of the words, “Kevin Durant is on the Golden State Warriors.” If people still can’t read the last sentence, here’s what it means: the rest of the league is fighting for second. To see Durant draped in the blue and gold alongside a man who scored thirty seven points in a quarter, a back-to-back MVP and the most versatile big man in the game is the greatest and most fascinating move in the history of the NBA. In a game where one’s legacy is measured by rings, Durant’s decision was the first step of the completion of a hero’s journey that will eventually lead to a Warriors championship. Remember this article when Durant, Curry, Thompson and Green go on to win numerous rings.
