"I think we were exhausted organizationally; I think the players were exhausted" - Steve Kerr reflects on Kevin Durant's final season with Golden State Warriors
Kevin Durant had a successful three-year stint with the Golden State Warriors from 2016 to 2019, winning two championships in three NBA Finals appearances. But Warriors coach Steve Kerr believes they were simply exhausted in their final season together in 2019.
In an interview with Sam Amick of The Athletic, Kerr was asked about KD's final season in a Warriors uniform. The three-time NBA champion coach said the final year was difficult and the team was just exhausted after five consecutive trips to the NBA Finals.
"I think we were exhausted organizationally. I think the players were exhausted. We lost two guys to devastating injuries in the Finals. You almost can’t write a script like that, you know? And it was so brutal," Kerr said.
The injuries Steve Kerr referenced were to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson. Durant tore his right Achilles in Game 5 against the Toronto Raptors, while Thompson suffered a torn ACL in his left knee in Game 6. Both players went on to miss the entire 2019-20 NBA season, with Durant leaving the Golden State Warriors to join the Brooklyn Nets.
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Kerr added that the exhaustion came from five straight years of doing the same thing and going for the same goal. The fact that all NBA teams were gunning for them made it really difficult.
Like I said, when you do something for that long, such a competitive emotional level - five years, and teams trying to knock you off and building their team to beat you, it’s exhausting. And I think we were all just exhausted," Kerr mentioned.
It was a crazy final season at Golden State for Kevin Durant. Fresh off winning their second straight title and gunning for a three-peat, the 2018-19 season started with Durant getting cursed out by Draymond Green. Many people believed it was in that moment that the Warriors dynasty ended.
Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors go their separate ways
After the Golden State Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals, Kevin Durant decided to join the Brooklyn Nets via sign-and-trade. Durant missed his entire first season in Brooklyn due to a torn right Achilles tendon. He was the same KD in his second year, helping the Nets make it as far as the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
Durant also won an Olympic Gold Medal for the third time in his career last summer. Now, he's back to being one of the best players in the world and an MVP candidate. He now plays alongside James Harden as they try to help the Nets win their first NBA championship.
List of U.S. men's basketball players to average 20 PPG in a single Olympics:
🇺🇸 Kevin Durant
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On the other hand, the Golden State Warriors endured a tough two years after Durant left. In the first season without KD, the Warriors were the worst team in the NBA. Klay Thompson and Steph Curry were injured for most of the season, while the team had no real identity.
In the second season without Durant, the Warriors did much better with Curry playing like an MVP. However, Golden State was not able to make the postseason as their depth was lacking. Thompson also missed the entire season after suffering a torn right Achilles tendon while on recovery from his torn ACL.
Now, the Warriors are legitimate championship contenders, with Curry still in MVP form, Jordan Poole developing nicely, Draymond Green playing great defense and the team showing great depth. If the stars align at the end of the season, NBA fans could be treated to a Brooklyn Nets-Golden State Warriors finals matchup as Kevin Durant tries to beat his former team for his third ring.
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