Kevin Durant shoots some hoops before the news conference about joining the Golden State Warriors at the NBA basketball team’s practice facility, Thursday, July 7, 2016, in Oakland, Calif.
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The Warriors, per team policy, did not release terms of the deal but its widely reported to be a two-year maximum contract worth $54.3 million that includes a player option after the first year that would allow Durant to boost his salary further.
While Oklahoma City is still reeling from the move and deciding what to do next, the Warriors welcomed the 2014 NBA MVP to the Bay area.
“With this in mind, I have decided that I am going to join the Golden State Warriors”.
“It’s been hectic. A lot of attention comes with being in this position”, Durant said of the free-agency process.
“Hopefully he understands”, Durant said. “It’s the best decision for me”.
As a free agent, Kevin was well within his rights to leave the Thunder and join the Warriors, but Durant’s been met with an enormous amount of backlash for making a business decision.
Durant said his relationship with Westbrook was great.
Nash, who was part of a superteam in 2012-2013 with the Los Angeles Lakers, also emphasized during his interview with Rappler how what Durant did was within the rules of the National Basketball Association and credited him for taking advantage of it. IT was time for it. When I made this decision, I couldn’t consider totally everybody’s feelings.
Durant is clearly aware of the fact that he made a controversial choice.
Durant needed to know how a fellow superstar in Curry felt about all this, so he looked him the eye to find out.
One reporter asked Durant if he felt guilty about leaving the Thunder.
Coming off a record setting 73 wins this past regular season the Warriors “Big Three” is now the “Big Four” with the addition of Durant. “I’m honored you’re here, I’m honored you chose us”.
But Barkley added: “We develop this thing where you keep telling these guys, ‘Hey man, if you don’t win a championship you’re a bum.’ I don’t feel like a bum. I can’t control that”. “I was shocked that those four guys came in to meet me a couple of days ago”, he said. “There’s no shortcuts. There’s still 82 games to play”, he said. I just tried to focus on me but also realize the relationships I had, I’m sure they won’t be the same, but I still wanted to go out there and leave with some class, some dignity.
“I was disappointed like I was disappointed when LeBron went to Miami”, Barkley said on ESPN radio.
Team officials announced that he will wear #35 for the Warriors.
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However, they fell short of a second-straight championship, losing to Cleveland for the title.
