NBA
Dear Sports World,
Dear Sports World,
Kevin Durant
joining the Warriors is a good thing. This is not a proclamation because the
move is golden for Dubnation, a contingent I subscribe to. Rather, I believe Kevin
Durant teaming up with the Warriors transcends what sports mean to the world. A
global role model just made a tough and unpopular career decision to benefit
his life first and foremost. He chose an opportunity to maximize the joy in
what he does every day.
As the process
unfolds, we will be educated. We will witness true teamwork embodied by unselfish
team-first play. We will watch camaraderie at its finest and be reminded what
you can accomplish in life when you enjoy and love what you do. We will absorb
championship work ethic. Quality basketball will be taught to our next
generation. Kids will practice to acquire learned skills such as shooting,
passing, and dribbling instead of relying on talents such as height and
athleticism. The Warriors way will be more than a roadmap for NBA success. It
will be a journey that explores maturation and cooperation to deliver a
successful work product. The standard will seep into other industries. It will
teach men, women and children practices that will help them succeed and embrace
life.
I am aware that
KD joined a 73-win team with back-to-back finals appearances and only a year
removed from a championship. I know that he joined forces with the very team
that just knocked him out of his championship pursuit. Everyone has heard that
the Thunder were up 3-1 and oh so close to dethroning Golden State. Thank you
Stephen A. Smith, but your rabble-rouser chatter is “weak” and you are not
“class personified” for flat-out bashing KD’s decision.
KD did not jump
on the bandwagon as a weak move. He is not along for a ride so that a
championship can be served to him. If anything, KD made a power move. He saw
the most efficient jet on the planet and added rocket boosters to make the
flight galactic. But KD wants to fly because it is fun, not because he must
reach the stars.
One
article by Royce Young frames KD’s decision as leaving OKC more so than
joining GSW. Young narrates a discussion that “outside forces would sway him”
and that “he’s impressionable and impulsive.” Young claims that apparently the
pressure to win a title was relentless and Durant couldn’t escape it. “Durant
didn’t want to be the leader anymore.” The article signs off with a line that ultimately
KD changed. Never mind that KD “has always longed for” a free-flowing pass
heavy offense and that he was visibly “ecstatic” when his team in fact shared
the ball. Never mind that OKC “ranked last in the league in passes per game,
while the Warriors ranked first.” I think to insinuate a question about KD’s
love and loyalty while charging his tremendous contributions to the community
against him for leaving is garbage.
KD did not
change. He chose what he always wanted. He wants to play basketball the right
team-first way and love doing it. KD happened to say what people wanted to hear
over the years, but that does not define him. He still loves the Oklahoma
community. The widespread pundit claims that KD should have given it another
year for the Thunder is hypocritical to history. Let us examine how the Thunder
did business. Did the Thunder give it another year when they had Harden or did
they squabble over $4.5
million and then trade him away for assets? Did the Thunder give it another
year with Ibaka or did they
trade him away for Victor Oladipo, another volume shooting guard that is a
rich man’s Dion Waiters and a poor man’s Russell Westbrook? The Thunder look
out for the Thunder and KD should look out for KD.
The Thunder did
not embrace KD’s skillset but rather they gave the keys to Westbrook to hog the
ball and hoist up attempts. They relied on their talent instead of
complimenting their talent with execution. They played one-on-one
fourth quarters and faltered in far too many. In 2013-14 when Westbrook
missed significant time the Thunder still finished second in the conference
thanks to a MVP KD. In 2014-15 when KD went down they missed the playoffs. The
Thunder model was for KD and Westbrook to win games for the Thunder when it
should have been for the Thunder to win games with KD and Westbrook.
In KD’s Warriors
introductory press conference he did not talk about the allure of a championship
(or championships) bringing him to the Bay. Of course that is his goal, but it
is not his drive. KD talked about how he met with the Warriors core (shocked
that they all came to meet with him) and saw Steph, Klay, Draymond, and Andre
walk in and “it looked like they were holding hands, you know it was a family.”
KD saw their family, witnessed how much they love each other, and got a taste how
they enjoy working together. Then that family asked KD to join. The dub family
felt “organic” “authentic” and “real.” “It was feelings he could not ignore.”
Despite my love
for fellow Bruin Reggie Miller, I vehemently disagree with his characterization
that KD “traded
a sacred legacy for cheap jewelry.” Legacy versus rings is a myopic egotistical
lens to view KD’s decision. That is Reggie framing it as celebrity ego versus
winning ego. That is Reggie talking about being “the man,” “a king,” and his
“kingdom.” Admiration is not what KD truly seeks, otherwise he would have
appeased the populace and stayed. KD wants to take on a new life challenge and
he wants to love the journey. John Wooden once quoted Cervantes in explaining
how he prized the preparation day after day, week after week, year after year:
“The journey is better than the inn.” (Wooden,
pg. 53)
KD understands
that now the challenge has shifted. It is no longer to win a title, but to win
multiple titles. He wants to take on that expectation. He wants to conquer that
burden. His mindset is no longer to go schoolyard and take over his man. Now, his
mindset is to play team basketball. Let us admire KD’s personal choice, not
criticize it because it does not fit into what we want or what we think.
From the
Warriors’ organizational point of view, is it wise to add a superstar and
sacrifice your proven depth? Is it good to shake up a regular season record holder?
When you have a team
rack up 73 wins, there is not much you can do to improve upon that. In fact,
many would think to stay the course. Keep the mansion. Do not remodel. Imagine
that the home appreciates. The master bedroom (Steph), the living room (Klay),
and the kitchen (Draymond) feel so luxurious. Maybe that is all you need. The dining
room (Andre) ties in the house’s elegance. The two-car garage (Bogut and Ezeli)
has powerful trucks that have taken you places, but the trucks tend to need
repairs. The backyard pool (Barnes) can shine, but for parts of the year it falters.
In staying the course, you hope that the market that you cannot control does
not fluctuate. You bet that the competition does not pass you. You wish your
house remains the most valuable.
But, there is an
aspect lacking in your mansion: Location. Location. Location. And there is only
one available player in the entire league to give you that. You could build a
similar mansion on top of the hills with the gorgeous view (KD) of the Bay
Bridge, the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. That view catapults your residency
to the top of the listings. No one has a better view. Your bedroom wakes up to a
beautiful sunrise. Your living room catches the sunsets. Your kitchen is bathed
in sunlight so you are ready to go to work to churn out hearty meals and wash
the dishes. The dining room drinks in the moonlight. You do not need your pool
anymore because of the cost of maintenance. And you can replace the trucks in
your garage with cost efficient rides (Zaza and West). The rest of the house
can be filled out modestly with guest bedrooms, entertainment rooms, offices,
and whatever you can afford to make this a home you truly love.
That is what the
addition of KD means to GSW. He creates the dream home where your family will
live each and every day. In basketball terms KD is the perfect fit for what the
Warriors do. They will move the ball unselfishly, make cuts, set screens, and as
they like to say “not settle for good shots, but great shots.” Their first two
cannons rained fire and they just added a Howitzer. With their excellent
coaching and team execution the Warriors can flow beautifully. They will drain
shots at a higher rate than a 21st birthday celebration. Draymond
will get better in his Swiss army knife support. And the other big men can actually
hit free throws that will eliminate an opposing hack-a-strategy.
The defense will
be just as formidable. The anchor to the weak side block will not be as strong
as when Bogut played. Someone or many will have to step up to fill that void. Zaza
and West will get their rebounds, but KD will emerge as an elite defender. He
will work with defensive guru Ron Adams to fit into the system and use his premier
length to secure the perimeter and protect the rim. If Curry’s defense can accelerate
like it has the past two seasons, then KD can make huge strides. When the Dubs
go Death Lineup there will be rim protectors in both Durant and Draymond. Their
blocking comes from their fight not their height (well, maybe KD’s wingspan).
The Warriors are
not inventing selfless successful basketball. It has always been around and the
Spurs have been exceling at it for years. The Warriors just happen to have a collective
of popular superstars. With that comes all the attention and spotlight. As
such, the world will watch and the people will listen. And if these superstars
play for each other, sacrifice for the team, and validate their recipe with
championships, we will celebrate them.
There is no Evil
Empire.
Sincerely,
A Sports Fan