WE, yes, WE are Champions!

Dubnation just won another title. It is Dubnation. It is us that won.

NBA

I find it petty that people want to call out fans when they say “we” won a championship. A usual retort is “are you on the team? Then you did not win a championship. You are not on the court, you are not playing, you just watch the team perform.” I hate this. When people exclude fans from the we, what are these people trying to accomplish? The only notion to step on fans and exclude the fans is to take away their personal joy.

When someone says that he or she is from the bay are people going to ask that person whether he or she runs the city, perform civic duties, or enforces laws? No. When fans identify themselves as “we” with a sports team it is like saying they are from a region. Fans develop a sense of identity with their passions. We bought tickets to the game, we tuned in on local television, and we feel the emotions; joy and sorrow as we watch our team. Why cut them down in that journey?

This same sentiment is weaponized when people attack bandwagon fans. Bandwagon fans materialize because something is transcendent, inspiring, and so enthralling it captures the community more than just the beleaguered. Losses, bruises, and disappointment do not elevate someone’s experiences as more worthy than another who wants to join the party. The previously punished fans may appreciate the win more, feel more joy, and ultimately find solace in relief. But the beaten up, just because they took the hits, does not make them better than anyone else who soaks up the positive energy. There are no solar panels that are depleting the sun.

I once was at a bar the season after the Giants won a World Series (one of their 3 championships, I can’t remember). Some dude called me out as a bandwagon fan. I told him I was not. But go ahead and pop off sir. This guy proceeded to quiz me on Giants’ knowledge. After I crushed his soul, like Stephen Colbert crushed James Franco in Tolkien lore, he acknowledged I was a “true” fan. Whatever buddy. As if I need your stamp of approval from a Padres Dodgers fan. (I think I remember it was a Padres fan, but for my own personal fun factor, I am retelling this story as if the dude was a Dodgers fan.)

This is what irks me. Why do we have to exclude? Why does a person feel like they have a leg up on someone else because the excluder denied that someone else their access? The solar panels are not depleting the sun.

I have brought a few different friends to party many different times. On more than a few occasions there are murmurs from people like “why is he here?” “Who invited him?” 

“Um, I brought him here, what’s the problem?”

 “He isn’t cool enough.” “He’s lame.”

“Well, I was invited, and I am ‘cool enough’ and I invited my buddy.”

First off, what does “cool enough” mean? Is there some sort of criteria you must check off to be cool? Do you have to pass a test of 20 questions? I understand some celebrities, athletes, etc. project a sense of cool. Maybe from their mannerisms, their fashion, their sheer presence. But us common folk, what is “cool enough?“

The sad reality is that these insults reflect on the insulter. Does someone else’s presence affect the insulter’s reputation or image? If the insulter worries about being in the same room with someone that isn’t “cool enough,” reality check, you, Mr. or Ms. Insulter, are not in fact that cool. You are not secure in yourself that you must jockey external factors to make you look “cool enough.” 

What made me think of all this, is this Golden State Warriors’ run. I have invited my friends to always join me to watch a game. Whether the invite was the day of, the week before, the month before, a year ago, I invited you. (Not going to lie, I am a cool hang with watching sports.) It is always an open invite. I am always posted up in my (some may say man cave) place. It is totally understandable that people feel reticent to ask to come after my initial invite. I say this, as an apology, to all my friends that I do not follow up and invite individually at every event. But everyone is welcome.

This is not to say that everyone is always welcome. People makes mistakes and commit violations. If someone abuses my friendship, or worse, abuses one of my friends, I have no problem excommunicating that violator just like Chase Center banned Fake Klay Thompson for life.

But from the start, everyone deserves an invite. Someone is not discriminated from buying a ticket to a game because of what he or she looks like, how he or she dresses, or how (perceived) annoying he or she is. Sports do not exclude. There are logistical limits to how many people can fit into an arena and stadium. But anyone, can watch a game somewhere. Solar panels do not deplete the sun.

My crew for game six watched the Warriors seal the championship in Boston. After we got out all our joyous cursing we settled down and reflected on this postseason run. We have had a lot of people come thru our place during this postseason and it was all fun. 

But this shook me. My roommate, the guy who shares the same mailbox, who has keys to our apartment, who barbeques at our parties, turned to me, and said, “Dude this was so fun, thanks for hosting.” Without me blubbering my emotions into the eternal scripture that is the internet, I can say that is one the best compliments that I have ever received. 

It is not about the location. It is about the inclusion.

Unless you are Fake Klay Thompson.

The 5 Biggest Threats to the Warriors Over the Next 5 Years

Who can slay the kings of the NBA?

NBA

The Golden State Warriors are dominant. It appeared as if the Warriors waltzed through the playoffs en route to a 16-1 playoff record. Their three-year run of regular season record-breaking win totals and two championships firmly plants the Warriors in the best team ever conversation. However, what could happen over the next five plus seasons may make NBA history buffs go bonkers. The Warriors’ core four are early in their primes: Stephen Curry (age 29), Kevin Durant (28), Draymond Green (27) and Klay Thompson (27). The only age issue is the Death Lineup’s fifth teammate Andre Iguodala at 33 years old. General manager Bob Myers is a pro at rounding out the roster with guys that complete the team (Shaun Livingston, David West, Javale McGee) but it is those aforementioned five main guys that mold the team into an all-time elite.

So if the Warriors are this good, stay this good and possibly get better, who can knock the Dubs of their supremacy? Money is on the Warriors evidenced by the 5-11 current odds for next year’s championship. But what if we project over several years?

Here are the five biggest threats to dethrone the Warriors over the next five seasons:

5. San Antonio Spurs

Two reasons make the San Antonio Spurs top five on this list and only number five on this list: Gregg Popovich and Kawhi Leonard.

Gregg Popovich

Coaching is huge in the NBA. The Warriors ascended from a first/second round playoff team to a championship with largely the same roster that added Steve Kerr as head coach. Kerr has worked magic thus far, but Popovich has been doing it for two decades. With Pop at the helm, the Spurs finished top three in the Western Conference 16 out of 20 years, made the Conference Finals or further ten times and won five championships. That equates to making the Conference Finals 50 percent of the time and winning 25 percent of the championships. Pop is one of the best coaches ever and the Spurs are championship caliber every year. Pop is the most dangerous matchup for anyone facing the Spurs. If any coach is going to find the secret sauce to frying the Warriors Pop is the iron chef candidate.

However, Pop is 68 years old and NBA coaching takes a toll. Does he have five years left in him to be coaching into his 70s? Only Hubie Brown, Don Nelson and Larry Brown make the short list for septuagenarian NBA head coaches. If Pop retires in the near future the Spurs immediately teeter off championship contention. It does not matter how good of an organization the Spurs are. Pop is a generational talent and the Spurs will not replace him without a drop off.

Kawhi Leonard and who else?

Kawhi is a top-five NBA player that should be fixed in the MVP debate every year. He has evolved from a lockdown defender to adding bona fide bucket getter to his arsenal. Many respect Kawhi as the best two-way player in the game. Any player that good is a threat to beat any team. On the other hand, Kawhi is just one man.

Kawhi certainly can be the best player on a championship winning team, but can the Spurs realistically beat the Dubs in a seven game series when Kawhi is the only elite player? The answer is no, especially given the fact that Kawhi has not yet evolved into a superstar playmaker in the same vein as Lebron James creating easy looks for his teammates. And even peak Lebron needed superstar sidekicks in Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami and Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love in Cleveland.

Defensively, it was a delicious matchup a couple years ago when the idea was that Pop could employ Kawhi on Steph. Put the KLaw, the best perimeter defender in the league, on Steph in the fourth quarter and possibly shut Steph down. That was the option. But currently Kawhi must be on KD duty. With KD’s versatile skillset and length, the Spurs have to put the dynamic Kawhi on KD or else the Spurs get torched. Then San Antonio must bank on their defensive scheme execution in chasing around Steph and Klay all day. The Spurs are capable of doing this. But defensive competence is not the sole problem especially when looking at the backcourt.

The backcourt matchup will not be decided on how well the Spurs quell Curry and Klay. The bigger issue is if the Spurs’ guards can match offensive firepower with the Splash Brothers. This is not happening with the current Spurs roster. No combination of Patty Mills, Danny Green, Dejounte Murray or aging stars Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker is staying afloat with the Splash Brothers and Co.

An interesting development would be if the Spurs could land an elite point guard. A superstar guard, particularly a point guard is essential for championship contention in the NBA. There are potential future options in Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, Isaiah Thomas, Kemba Walker and maybe even Mike Conley. (Kyrie would have been ideal but now he is in Boston for the next two years and possibly beyond.)

Theoretically, it could be Kawhi and an elite point guard as cornerstones with LaMarcus Aldridge as the third option. (A free agency addition, a you-never-know discount, losing Green/Ginobili/Parker and/or Pau Gasol and keeping Aldridge is feasible with the Spurs’ salary cap outlook.) Despite Aldridge’s regression since coming to the Spurs he becomes an excellent number three. But that is a big what-if considering the rumored grumblings that Aldridge is not happy being second fiddle to Kawhi. And then the Draymond kryptonite factor has the potential to reduce Aldridge’s offensive production to almost nil while making Aldridge a defensive liability.

The Spurs would need to find enough versatile wings and fleet-footed big men to keep up with the Warriors’ Death Lineup. They once had the cheap tools to do so in Dewayne Dedmon and Jonathon Simmons but unfortunately both are now gone to more lucrative contracts. The Spurs need to find more “Spurs’ system guys” like they always seem to do in the Popovich era.

Their first swing is adding a post-Achilles injury Rudy Gay. Whether the Spurs whiff or connect with Gay is difficult to determine. Many opinions want to veer away from an athletic explosive player recovering from a catastrophic injury. But then again some viewpoints turn back because it is in fact the Spurs and they get the benefit of the doubt.

The Spurs’ current construction is probably not enough to take down the Warriors but there are hopeful puzzle pieces out there and Popovich is a master builder.

4. Houston Rockets

The Houston Rockets are fourth on this list because they have the highest upside coupled with biggest uncertainty.

Upside

The Rockets’ upside stems from general manager Daryl Morey and the organization embracing analytics. Morey, the co-founder of MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference, and the Rockets are the first NBA team to go full Billy Beane. The “Moreyball” approach constructed their roster and directed their gameplay according to analytics.

Last season, the Rockets were under doctor’s orders to take basically two doses: layups/dunks at the rim and a barrage of threes. They put up historic numbers in offensive production and the tantalizing question is if this is the formula for the future.

Morey make moves as if he is immune to fear from failure. He has no qualms stating that tanking is smart and may be quickest and reliable way to rebuild and ascend to the top citing the Houston Astros as an example. Morey’s focus is to make the best team regardless of how people criticize and squirm when one deviates from the status quo. In the past few years, Morey brought in Dwight Howard (reaching a two-seed and conference finals) and jettisoned Dwight a year later when the Harden-Dwight chemistry went sour.

The offseason Chris Paul move was to add to the superstars’ arms race. The idea is to stack up Team USA players. Get another elite playmaker that can also shore up their mid-range weakness. A CP3-Harden combo reinvigorates the best backcourt in the NBA debate versus the Splash Brothers.

The next target is Carmelo Anthony. Many want to question the merits of Melo as a championship contender, but the consensus is that Team USA Melo, where he rains open corner and wing threes, is the best version. Melo as a Moreyball third option seems like a good fit. The hump for Morey is extracting Melo from the New York Knicks.

What if Morey can snag an impactful big man in the coming years? Clint Capela looks good with Harden and is still developing but he is not exactly a big problem for Draymond and KD. How about a DeAndre Jordan or Andre Drummond? Nothing is outside the realm of possibility in this new era where stars congregate and winning priorities can trump money.

Uncertainty

The CP3-Harden saga could be a really good Zoolander or an atrocious Zoolander 2. The backcourt pairing is an attempt to hit a bomb like Aaron Judge with a higher strikeout potential. Both players are so ball dominant that maybe they cannot exist together. Will Paul’s fiery and critical demeanor clash with Harden or other teammates? Add isolation king Melo and will that mix blend smoothly or bubble out like baking soda and vinegar?

           

What about the balance between offense and defense? Coach Mike D’Antoni is offensively outstanding, but defensively deficient. Can defensive assistant coach, Jeff Bzdelik, mold the Rockets into an elite defensive team the way guru Ron Adams has done for the Warriors? The Rockets will not beat the Warriors in a playoff series if Houston’s defense is lacking. The Rockets’ defense needs to improve, especially Harden. Harden must give maximum effort chasing Klay around the court or be able to hold his own on a mismatch switch.

On paper, the other personnel moves actually look pretty good for a defensive mindset. CP3 is a top defender at the point. P.J. Tucker, Luc Richard Mbah a Moute, and Trevor Ariza seem to be the type of versatile wing players to afford a lot of switching. The Warriors thrive on ball movement and player movement and the opposition has to be schematically defensively sound more so than just pure one-on-one defending. That means good coaching leading to defensive communication, continuity, and commitment.

The Rockets defense can get better, but will it ever be good enough? Houston now has good defensive players, not necessarily defensive studs. Their defense projects as less stalwart than the Warriors’ defense, who have all-defensive team talents in Klay, Iguodala, Durant and Draymond. The Dubs have proven they can turn off the faucet while the Rockets may only be able to slow the flow.

The Rockets are assembling their army but they may need Morey to snag more Olympians to take down the champs.

3. Milwaukee Bucks

The Milwaukee Bucks’ outlook depends not on where they are now, but where they can be over the next five seasons. They have a budding roster with oozing potential the way Golden State’s roster looked pre-Kerr.

Why it is possible: The Giannis Effect, Length, and Thon Maker.

           

Giannis Antetokounmpo, aka the Greek Freak, aka the Alphabet, is a beast. He became the first player in NBA history to finish top 20 in the league in all five major statistical categories: total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks. He also became the fourth in history to lead his respective team in all five categories. Versatility is the most sought after trait to thwarting the Warriors and Giannis has got it all.

Giannis is scarily only 22 years old. In his first four seasons in the league, every year he has increased all five of those aforementioned stats, plus field goal percentage. Last season’s strides were the greatest as Giannis took home the Most Improved Player award. The hottest Giannis topic is discussing not if but when he will win MVP. NBA championships are predicated on superstar players and Giannis has the most out of this world potential in the entire league. What can he become and when he becomes it who will be able to stop him?

Equally important in assessing the Bucks potential in this ranking is the rest of the Bucks complimentary roster. Milwaukee has length and athletes. The wingspans according to DraftExpress for the Bucks’ key players include: Giannis (7’3”), Thon Maker (7’3”), Greg Monroe (7’2”), Tony Snell (6'11"), Jabari Parker (6’11”) Khris Middleton (6’10”) and Malcolm Brogdon (6’10”). That bests the Warriors who are considered around the league to have long and athletic strengths: Durant (7’4”), Draymond (7’1”), Iguodala (6’11”), Klay (6’9”), Shaun Livingston (6’11”) and Steph Curry (6’3”).

The Bucks’ length has caused the Warriors fits the past two seasons. The Dubs’ offense feels more stagnant against Milwaukee than against most teams. Deflections seem more prevalent against the defensive versatility and length. Passing windows look smaller and shots are more contested.

The key to Milwaukee’s potential defensive dominance is Maker. Their roster has guys that that can be quite good and solid defensively but Maker could be stellar. When you watch the Bucks play, you can observe how Maker hunts on the defensive end. He helps quickly and swats furiously. With Maker there are the Kevin Garnett comparisons and even KG himself had high praise for the young player in his rookie season. Maker played sparingly in the beginning of his rookie campaign then earned good time with an entrenched starter’s role. His deep shot is already decent, putting him in the potential to have a Draymond-type impact defensively and offensively.

What needs to happen?

The biggest need is having a point guard worthy of a championship team. Brogdon was solid in his first year and won Rookie of the Year, but he is far from Steph stratosphere. The Bucks need an aggressive Brogdon development or plug in a microwave-ready point guard off the market. The good thing about their point guard future is that the Bucks have Jason Kidd as their head coach. Kidd, an all-time great, would seem to be the perfect basketball mind to develop a point or else convince an elite one to join.

A healthy Jabari is always an X-factor to add to the offensive efficiency. Monroe is also a solid role player option that scores with his back to the basket. These type of players are valuable against the Warriors a kin to how the Memphis Grizzlies have presented problems for the Dubs over the past few years. The Bucks have the core roster. They just need to reach their sky-high potential.

2. Boston Celtics

The Boston Celtics are the number two threat to the Warriors because the Celtics present the strongest amalgam of coach, general manager, and roster.

Brad Stevens

Outside of Pop, Brad Stevens is the best coach on this list and has room to grow. In Stevens’ first four years as coach he has lead Boston to a seventh seed in year two, a fifth seed in year three and one seed and Eastern Conference Finals berth in year four. Stevens’ coaching has gotten better every year and shines the brightest in the playoffs. So far he simply outcoaches others in the Eastern Conference.

Stevens has imposed a mix of high quality offensive execution and discipline with an equally impressive defense. The Celtics have been the best defense on the Warriors the past few seasons. Their perimeter play has kept up with the fast-paced Warriors better than anyone else. The Celtics match up well. There is a chance that former Celtic Avery Bradley was the cog that kept the Dubs at bay and losing Bradley may hurt greatly. But a lot of the Celtics’ success has to do with Stevens’ defensive schemes.

Stevens has the insight to think progressively when it comes to basketball. He recently claimed that he does not categorize players in terms of the traditional positions (point guard, small forward, center, etc.). He sees three types of players: ball handlers, wings and big men. It is this type of simplistic yet flexible perspective that a coach needs to beat the Warriors. To extinguish the Warriors you need a coach that mixes and matches and a team that has the players to meet such demands.

Danny Ainge

Danny Ainge, the general manager of the Celtics, is the brain trust behind developing a roster to compete with Cleveland in the East and eventually topple the Warriors. Ainge makes savvy moves and Ainge makes ruthless moves. The guy pulled the trigger trading Celtics legend Paul Pierce for assets and most recently getting rid of fan favorite Thomas for what hopes to be an upgrade in Irving. He has the green light to make any move and is not afraid to take off. His infamous will-trade-his-own-mother approach is exactly the competitive advantage the Celtics need in order to compile a championship contender. Much like Morey is an asset in Houston, Ainge makes a huge impact for Boston.

                                   

Roster

In order to compete with the Warriors a team must have a complete roster laden with star power. Stevens landed the most prized free agent of the 2017 summer, reuniting with his college superstar Gordon Hayward. Hayward has developed into an all-star, capable of carrying his Utah Jazz team’s offensive load into the second round of the Western Conference. He has flashed playmaking in his repertoire and now it is time to take the next step on a more complete Boston team.

If the Kyrie Irving trade goes through, the Celtics have two top offensive threats. Kyrie has proven he can go toe-to-toe with Steph on the biggest stage. It is conceivable that Kyrie, at 25, could eventually surpass Steph. Kyrie was unstoppable at times against the Warriors. His unbelievable finishes and ball handling strikes fear in Warriors’ faithful, even with the prospect of Klay shadowing Kyrie. A Hayward and Kyrie pairing places the Celtics as one of the most formidable point guard/small forward matchups that can hang with the Dubs.

With an established top two, it comes down to the rest of the Celtics to tip the scales against the Warriors. Al Horford is an excellent big man. He does not get enough credit anchoring teams. He is decently mobile for a big man making him perimeter capable, a necessary feature to take on the Warriors. Horford exhibits all the championship level intangibles and does all the little things. Since Lebron has returned to Cleveland only two teams in the East finished higher than the Cavs in the regular season standings. The 2015-16 Atlanta Hawks with Horford and the 2016-17 Boston Celtics with a newly acquired Horford. He is a good big man on good teams and a Horford-Zaza Pachulia matchup favors the Celtics.

           

The what-ifs are rookie Jayson Tatum and second-year Jaylen Brown. Tatum has enough hype for Bostonians to wish for a second coming of Pierce. Brown was one of the most serviceable rookies last year and he could develop into a solid NBA player both defensively and offensively. Add in Marcus Morris and rookie Semi Ojeleye and the Celtics are executing the anti-Warrior blueprint by collecting versatile wing players.

Ainge and assets, Stevens as the puppet master and a talented roster make the Celtics capable of taking down the Warriors over the next five seasons. A Beantown game changer would be if Ainge and Stevens find a way to corral Anthony Davis or Demarcus Cousins to the Celtics.

1. Lebron James

Lebron James and the retooled Cleveland Cavaliers.

Or Lebron and a new cast of Los Angeles Lakers.

Or how about Lebron and the dysfunctional New York Knicks?

Or possibly Lebron back in Miami sunshine.

Or even Lebron and an expansion team.

Lebron is the greatest threat to the Warriors. The only team Lebron is not public enemy number one to the Warriors is if Lebron is on the Golden State Warriors.

It is not necessary to deeply analyze the merits of a Lebron threat that is well documented. He is one of the greatest players ever and always elevates his teammates to championship level heights. Lebron can only be slowed by time, age and eventual retirement. With Lebron spending $1.5 million per year on his body, his commitment to rest and peaking during the playoffs, he may play at late age championship levels à la Tom Brady.

Lebron is a Warriors’ problem and Lebron hopes to be the ultimate solution to cracking Golden State once again.

Draymond Green is the Warriors’ Most Indispensible Player

NBA

If one of Steph, Klay or KD is out due to injury the Dubs can still compete for a championship. No chance if Draymond goes down. Why? Because defense wins championships.

Draymond Green is the Warriors’ key to reclaiming the throne. His defensive versatility and formidability keeps the Dubs championship contenders. They won the title in 2015 with Draymond as the main defensive cog when he was robbed of Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY) award. If after last year Kawhi Leonard has established himself as DPOY stud #1, then Draymond is 1A and everyone else takes a number behind them.

We know the Warriors have the offensive firepower. That is even more evident with the arrival of KD. But with the addition of KD came the subtraction of Bogut and Ezeli. The two big body centers provided a key aspect of “rim protection,” everyone’s favorite buzzword phrase to describe the Warriors weakness. I understand that blocks is an easily digestible stat and observing the last line of defense swat the ball away is sexy. But rim protection is not what made the Warriors a top defensive team the past two years. What made them elite and will keep them there is their first line of defense, their ability to disrupt the offense.

Basketball offense is predicated on getting open and mismatches. It is why every offense runs screens to free up men for open looks or place men in superior matchups. A mismatch is where Steph torches big men out on the perimeter. It is where the Grizzlies’ ZBo and Gasol and the Spurs’ Aldridge pound on little men on the block. It is when Griffin “outathletes,” Lebron outmuscles and Harden “outquickens” their guy.

What Draymond does is level that equation. He bangs with the seven footers and moves with speedsters. This allows the Warriors to switch on every screen reducing open looks and containing mismatches. With Draymond hovering the Dubs use their wing length to rotate and contain. Their primary is not blocking every shot but rather making every option not a good one. It is why the Death Lineup is the scariest of it all.

The Warriors blew out a lot of teams last year with their centers playing the main minutes because they were simply better than their opposition. But what pushed the Warriors into a 73-9 stratosphere was the Death Lineup. Steve Kerr employed it in close games to separate and in trailing games to flip it. If you are unaware of its consistency, it is where undersized Draymond plays center and Steph, Klay, Iguodala and now Durant (formerly Barnes) fill out the small ball lineup.

The Death Lineup creates all the floor spacing and offensive mismatches the Warriors utilize. Opposing defenses cannot keep up. The Dubs become a scoring juggernaut but it is their personnel (specifically Draymond) that solidifies them as a defensive force. With the Death Lineup last season the Warriors outscored their opponents by 47 points per 100 possessions. Without the Death Lineup, Steph and Co. do not turn the tables and take down Lebron in 2015. Without the Death Lineup, 73 wins is a dream, not a reality.

Without Draymond, 2017 is another missed championship.

Do Not Drink the KD & GSW Haterade

NBA

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 21^st 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