They can't do anything about KD anymore signing is done. I think KD has pretty much done a De Andre Jordan in that he traded away all his credibility, nobody takes him seriously anymore and I expect his merch and endorsements to drop along with his ppg and statistical contributions. LBJ faced the same sort of hate, but the difference is Heat turned up to have zero depth so the haters shut up when it turns out LBJ was having to put near triple doubles and score 30 every game just so the Heat could win. In KD's case GSW is already way too stacked with a big 4 of their own and killer depth so even if they win a ring people are just gonna say he relied on these other guys for a ring.
Also Silver is talking through his nose, the NBA has always broken records when you have 2 super teams in the NBA. That's what makes rivalries interesting, and even in cases where you have one super duper team dominating the NBA lots of viewers still watch it because they want that team to lose. See: NBA Showtime vs Celtics Big 3 MJ Bulls (no real rivals) KG Pierce Allen vs Gasol Kobe Odom Miami Heat (no real rivals) LBJ Cavs vs GSW Warriors Every single time you've had one time be consistently dominant or 2 teams that overshadow everyone else the NBA has broken their viewer ratings. NBA actually hates parity because people don't want to watch nobodies slugging it out, for example Spurs vs NJN before or Atlanta vs Orlando Magic nobody cared about those ECF and Finals matches. They want rivalries and consistency which can only happen when super teams fight each other over several years instead of parity which results in finalists changing every year. Other sports like NCAA or Football already have the stranglehold on the "excitement" factor which comes from parity, NBA focuses on "stories" and it's hard to have a story when the main characters (or teams) keep changing every year.
silver is salivating at the dreams between those ears on ratings and merchandise from his shiny new superteam
You realize that Durant will be near Silicon Valley? Name a more lucrative place in America than there... he'll get plenty of money off the court whether you see him on tv or not.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-conversation="none" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Regional Cover: <a href="https://twitter.com/SI_LeeJenkins">@SI_LeeJenkins</a> on how the <a href="https://twitter.com/warriors">@warriors</a> landed <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5">@KDTrey5</a> <a href="https://t.co/kDqmh37X17">https://t.co/kDqmh37X17</a> <a href="https://t.co/u3Lxpm5lGq">pic.twitter.com/u3Lxpm5lGq</a></p>— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) <a href="https://twitter.com/SInow/status/752887450834436096">July 12, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kevin Durant on Russell Westbrook: “Our relationship probably won’t ever be the same again” <a href="https://t.co/O5gw98b9UL">https://t.co/O5gw98b9UL</a></p>— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketballtalk/status/753337490291904512">July 13, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Actually the exact opposite has happened. Nike doubled the price of his shoe, jersey sales are through the roof. The typical fan going to basketball games, buying merch, has changed. These people don't care about his legacy or how stacked the teams are. They just want something entertaining and worth talking about.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">KD showing up to US practice w/OKC keychain like seein your ex-fiancé dance on tables in club w/your wedding ring on <a href="https://t.co/MYMLi1KZuh">pic.twitter.com/MYMLi1KZuh</a></p>— Rob Perez (@World_Wide_Wob) <a href="https://twitter.com/World_Wide_Wob/status/755121803660361729">July 18, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Kevin Durant said Russell Westbrook's style of play isn't part of what pushed him away <a href="https://t.co/eS8jmut6rq">pic.twitter.com/eS8jmut6rq</a></p>— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) <a href="https://twitter.com/anthonyVslater/status/755165150672330752">July 18, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Durant on Lakers: "I really respect their team, but I think they're a couple years away from where I want to be."</p>— Kurt Helin (@basketballtalk) <a href="https://twitter.com/basketballtalk/status/755166568405803008">July 18, 2016</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-version="7" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:658px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:8px;"> <div style=" background:#F8F8F8; line-height:0; margin-top:40px; padding:50.0% 0; text-align:center; width:100%;"> <div style=" background:url(data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAACwAAAAsCAMAAAApWqozAAAABGdBTUEAALGPC/xhBQAAAAFzUkdCAK7OHOkAAAAMUExURczMzPf399fX1+bm5mzY9AMAAADiSURBVDjLvZXbEsMgCES5/P8/t9FuRVCRmU73JWlzosgSIIZURCjo/ad+EQJJB4Hv8BFt+IDpQoCx1wjOSBFhh2XssxEIYn3ulI/6MNReE07UIWJEv8UEOWDS88LY97kqyTliJKKtuYBbruAyVh5wOHiXmpi5we58Ek028czwyuQdLKPG1Bkb4NnM+VeAnfHqn1k4+GPT6uGQcvu2h2OVuIf/gWUFyy8OWEpdyZSa3aVCqpVoVvzZZ2VTnn2wU8qzVjDDetO90GSy9mVLqtgYSy231MxrY6I2gGqjrTY0L8fxCxfCBbhWrsYYAAAAAElFTkSuQmCC); display:block; height:44px; margin:0 auto -44px; position:relative; top:-22px; width:44px;"></div></div> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BIIphwyg6ZM/" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Kevin Durant's new tattoo #2PacForever</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A photo posted by ThompsonScribe (@thompsonscribe) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2016-07-21T19:24:12+00:00">Jul 21, 2016 at 12:24pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async defer src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script>
The doubling of price is done because sales volume won't be as big as before, I guess Nike was trying to market KD's mass market appeal previously which was why his shoes were cheaper, now that he's turned heel they raised the price and made the product more premium because the sales quantity will go down. Not arguing about the 2nd paragraph since it's true, but the "typical fan" won't spend $150 on a signature basketball shoe either. KD's shoe fanbase has clearly shifted from the typical NBA fans to die hard GSW fans and premium NBA collectors, which sort of proves my point he's no longer LBJ's rival for face of the league.
You're wrong. Durant was always a relatively weak seller of shoes. Curry and LeBron sell 150m+, Durant 80. Here's a good article via Bloomberg http://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...en-as-nike-s-golden-ticket-in-bay-area-market They're expecting demand to go up, which is why you increase the price. You don't increase the price when you expect demand to go down... Lol
LOL <blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">@DaBeatDocta i was never a big tupac fan but some of his **** was cool...he spoke real stuff..but weezy lyrics are crazy..he versatile</p>— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/1656334356">April 30, 2009</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
I still find it hard to believe this happened. It would be like adding Hakeem or David Robinson to the Bulls after they won 72 games. It doesn't even make sense.
No it wouldn't. Bulls won a title and had the best player on Earth. GS was arguably the 3rd best team in the league and the games best player is in Cleveland.
Everything is not always 100% comparable. Hakeem was equal to Jordan for 3-4 years, which was that same time frame. Curry was not himself in the playoffs after the injury against the rockets. Green was suspended a game. Bogut their starting center was injured. Regardless they won 73 games. And added a 4 time scoring champ and MVP in his prime. What if they win the next 3 years in a row? That will mean they won 4 out of 5 times, with one game 7 loss.
