“It felt like they weren’t in the NBA”, Durant said. There are no shortcuts. “I know it’s Jerry West and I know he’s the logo, and you’re expecting a sexier conversation, but it was more so about the team and how I could fit in and how great the coaching staff was”.
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“We live in this comic book world where you’re either a hero or a villain”, Durant said. I made the decision based on what I wanted to do. “It was feelings I couldn’t ignore”.
Durant, 27, can opt out of the deal next July and take advantage of television money boosting the National Basketball Association salary cap to $107 million a club to test free agency again. “Tears were shed. I trusted my gut”, he said. “I’m super excited. I’m pumped to get started”. But great things about this organization and you never know how it is until you, you’re face to face with these guys so to see Steph (Curry), Klay (Thompson), Draymond (Green), Andre (Iguodala) walk in the house.
“I just felt like these, this group of guys when they came into see me everything was real you know you hear on the outside looking in you hear nothing”.
For Durant, the Thunders had always had his back unconditionally, and he could not be more grateful for what they had meant for his family and to him.
The Golden State Warriors have unveiled their newest prized possession, introducing Kevin Durant.
It was in Oakland where the Warriors ended Durant’s title dream in May, defeating Oklahoma City to complete a rally from 3-1 down to win the best-of-seven Western Conference semi-finals.
Golden State then squandered a 3-1 NBA Finals lead in losing to Cleveland. “It felt like those guys just played pickup every single day…” But when you all get together and say “let’s dominate the league” and try to cheat your way to a championship.
Durant, who was taken second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft by a Seattle SuperSonics team that relocated to Oklahoma City a year later, said the relationships he forged while playing with his former team are what made his decision so challenging. “That’s the kind of feel that I wanted”. “It was difficult, being in a place for so long, the relationships I built, it was hard”.
“That’s the negative of LeBron going to Miami, KD going to Golden State”.
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“We had a pretty tough time in the playoffs with Kevin’s length and versatility defensively, and of course that’s kind of been our calling card as a defense the last couple years, the versatility, the ability to switch, and Kevin fits perfectly into that style”, Kerr said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun once we get rolling”.
