Dear Kevin Durant

One major difference, KD already had a contending team and joined the BEST team in the league who happened to beat his team the year prior after choking away a 3-1 lead. KD>Lebron??? Lol.

 

I can't believe there's a single person who actually respects Durant as a competitor. It's beyond comprehension for me. For the second best player in the world to openly admit he will never be good enough to lead a team to a title in the prime of his career.

He was within his rights, and no rules we're broken, but my lord what a supreme b**** move. And we all felt this way long before the Rockets were the ones being directly denied a championship.

Man seriously f**k him, I've never came close to hating a player as much as this.

 

I've been a huge fan of Durant's for a long time (the username explains why). I love the way he gives back to Texas and he is an unbelievable talent, but man... he made a decision I just cant defend. Especially considering he publicly blasted guys for joining super teams.

 

I think prior to the the game, a lot of people thought the Rockets had a chance. The narrative was that "here is a team that is on the Warriors level." And I'm not saying the series is over or anything, but it looks like a much less competitive series today than it did on Monday afternoon. I'm curious how that affects game 2 ratings.

And to the larger point about super teams being good for the league, I have to call BS in this case. Let's say KD stayed in OKC. The Warriors were already a super team without Durant...they had their best record without him and were extremely popular. Then, you'd have the Rockets, who would be on the Durant-less-Warriors level. AND THEN, you'd also have OKC right there with them...especially if they managed to add one other "star" of some caliber. That would have been three "super teams" right there battling it out in the Western Conference. And none of those teams would be at the level where you could say noone else even has a puncher's chance against them, so you'd also have some long shot contenders around the rest of the league that could maybe generate a little bit of excitement/hope from their fans.

What we have instead is one "transcendent/divine/holy team" (super just doesn't do it justice)...and the Rockets, a team that would historically be considered a super team, but is generously only a "longshot contender." And then after that a whole bunch of non-contending fodder.

How is the former better for the league in terms of ratings and overall interest? If we're just going to point to ratings numbers and say the only reason they are higher is because people like watching a "super team + Durant" cruise their way to a championship, then okay. I think there are probably more credible reasons for any ratings boost than that.

 

That's cool for you to admit. I was suspicious of how many KD defenders on this board went to UT. You know there are a lot here, and it's hard to get people to turn their backs on their college programs/products (see Penn State fans still supporting Paterno). I get it, if that's the case.

 

Again, the point is missed entirely. I do not care about KD's personal issues, nor should anyone else.

You stated that him winning with the Warriors will enhance his legacy, my question to you is how exactly does it do so?

When you play along side 3 other all-stars and a team that is historically great, it does nothing but diminish your accomplishments. You do not have to work as hard, do as much, when you know for a fact that you are flanked by others that can carry a team to a championship.

I believe there is one point that gets lost in all this. People seem to forgot exactly who KD is playing along with. If you add it all up, KD's move was weak and this accomplishments are not worth much at this point.

 

The best team in the league was Cleveland who beat Golden State the year prior for the championship. KD joined the 2nd best team. lebron started this crap yet you guys point blame at KD? Selective memory here

 

Couldn’t agree more with this sentiment. Calling this Warriors team a superteam is inaccurate. They were a superteam before KD.

You have Lebron haters trying to put them in the same boat and it’s not even remotely close.

 

You seem to be clueless on almost everything being discussed here.

Bottom line: stop being r****ded telling people to take pay cuts for your own selfish reasons.

 

Lebron beat a 73 win team? But KD lost to them after choking away a 3-1 lead. This Lebron guy sounds pretty damn good. You could even go as far to say Lebron>KD. Lol. Always appreciate the laughs you provide.

 

the celtics started the modern superteam era.

the celtics put together 3 hall of famers who were still younger than cp3 now, just to beat a lebron james with larry hughes as his 2nd best player.

and everything snowballed afterwards.

except lebron didn't go to the celtics after the celtics beat him. he went someone else to build a team that could beat the celtics, because the franchise he was at never got him an MVP caliber player to play alongside like russell westbrook.

nobody has a problem with KD leaving the thunder, but at the very least you would think he would go build a team to go take down the warriors instead of just replace harrison barnes.

why don't all the all-stars who get labelled chokers just take 1 year vet minimum contracts to recreate team USA so everybody can get a ring.

 

You sound like Durant is working an average Joe job like most of us. He is making millions of dollars to play a game WE like to watch. We as fans have every right to criticize a move that is against OUR interest. If you don't like it. You should join US to criticize the move.

If you are talking about freedom of choice and self-interest, why are you knocking us for OUR self-interest? Who cares what HE wants. He is free to choose to make a move that get our criticism. Somehow you think we don't have the right to say what we want when he has the right to choose what he wants. Great logic!

Or are you afraid that this kind of knock is going to spill over to your man LeBron? To late, he already did what he did in The Decision. Good thing he redeemed himself by winning in 2016. Durant still has time to do that too (or attempt to do that), if he chooses to leave GS after this contract expires.

 

Lebron's a great player. But he also had another great player in Kyrie Irving who finished games for him. Either way he started this superfriends era and yet KD gets the blame. Blame the guy who started this all

 

I agree with this. Ratings were high for Game 1 because of the hype building for nearly a week(and frankly since maybe January) over this series. If the Warriors make quick work of the Rockets though, it's terrible for the league long-term. Just like last year's Finals were hyped like crazy all season long because everyone knew it would be Warriors vs. Cavs the moment Durant signed with Golden State. But the series itself wound up being a major dud(which BTW any sensible person could've predicted). How excited do you think people would be over Warriors vs. Cavs Part IV if Cleveland came back to beat the Celtics? Not much considering the Cavs would be lucky to win a single game.

What's going to wind up happening is the Warriors are going to kill interest in the NBA because the champion will be a foregone conclusion every season for the next 2-3 years. Maybe even longer if Golden State can find suitable replacements for Iggy and Livingston once they get too old. This year could be really damaging because the Warriors didn't even give a rat's ass about the regular season(they finished with the 3rd best record behind Houston and Toronto) yet still may steamroll their way through the playoffs. Even without Curry in Round 1 and Game 1 of the Semifinals.

 

Agree to disagree. KD is a great player as well, but there’s a big difference between what Lebron did and what KD did.

 

Did he make the best decision for himself? Arguments have and can been made he hasn't.

He's earning less money than he would have if he stayed in OKC.
Any titles he earns will be considered "tainted" .
He created an image of being weak minded and soft by joining a 73 win team instead of continuing to battle them.
He destroyed his fanbase in Oklahoma City.
His legacy will suffer from the above.

 

And here comes the Lebron hater nr1 on this site lol.

 

One of the best players ever. Where's the hate? Because I don't sleep with a picture of him at night like you probably do?

 

There is a difference, you're right. But Lebron started the trend and is going to do the SAME thing this summer when he leaves Cleveland (again). With that said, Kevin Durant>Lebron

Lebron does more overrall. But KD's so much better on offense it makes up any advantage Lebron had

 

I sound like Durant should do what's in the best interests of him and his family just like anyone else, no matter how much $$ they make. It's not his job to maintain competitive balance in the league. What's the dollar cutoff for when one should start doing what's best for others as opposed to what's best for them?

I don't recall telling anyone what to think about the decision he made. I did say I don't agree and expressed why.