The Golden State Warriors were able to have Kevin Durant on the roster for three seasons. During those seasons, the Warriors won two championships with him leading the way. Durant was Finals MVP in both of the championship seasons that they won.
In order to join the Warriors, Durant decided to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played his first nine seasons with that organization, with one of them being in Seattle. It was a tough decision for him to leave Oklahoma City, but he did what he thought was best for him.
Durant was ridiculed heavily for his decision to leave the Thunder to join one of the best teams in the league. While speaking on the Unguarded Pod, Durant revealed what was going through his mind when he made the decision to head to Golden State.
GettyWarriors forward Kevin Durant dribbles the ball. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
Kevin Durant Reveals Why He Joined the Warriors
While on the pod, Durant said that it simply came down to basketball reasons for him, starting with the deficiencies in OKC.
“In OKC, we had a lot of specialists. Dudes that played defense but couldn’t score on their own. Really couldn’t shoot the ball. We had a guy who could shoot but then couldn’t guard that well, so there’s a lot that goes into it to try and make that offense work.”
“I’m looking at Golden State, and they’re calling me, and I’m like, “sh–, they averaging like 120 a game.’ I don’t have to worry bout a zone every time I catch the ball, top locking me, double teaming me…I felt like we made the game better because you had to come with it from the first possession of the game, or you’re gonna get blown out.”
GettyWarriors forward Kevin Durant gets a rebound. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images)
Kevin Durant Accomplished a lot with the Warriors
While Durant only played three seasons in Golden State, he accomplished quite a bit. He changed his legacy by winning those two championships. Those Warriors teams were some of the best teams in the league when Durant was on the roster.
Durant has yet to win another title since leaving the Warriors. He has played for three different teams since leaving Golden State. He is at the end of his career, but he has as good a chance as he’s had since leaving Golden State to win a title this season with the Rockets.
The Warriors are still fighting to hold on to the Stephen Curry era. They need some help for him and Jimmy Butler if they are going to have a shot at competing in a very competitive Western Conference. Right now, the Warriors sit eighth in the standings.
When Durant was with the Warriors, he had his two best years in terms of net rating. The statistics that the Warriors were able to put up in the Durant era will be tough to replicate by another team in the league.
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