"If he feels that his path should go outside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, then go get it" - Former Chicago Bulls player reflects on whether Kevin Durant made a mistake by leaving Golden State Warriors
Former Chicago Bulls star Jay Williams believes Kevin Durant's decision to leave the Golden State Warriors was in no way the wrong one for him. The 40-year-old was in full support of Durant amidst growing criticism of him after the Warriors made the NBA Finals.
Since leaving the Dubs in 2019, KD has only won a single playoff series with the Brooklyn Nets. He was criticized for the team's sweep against the Boston Celtics in the first round.
However, Jay Williams came out in support of Kevin Durant. He stated that such hurdles would come up as he has decided to go out and win a championship on his own. Speaking about the two-time Finals MVP on ESPN's "Get Up," he said:
"Kevin Durant is trying to blaze his own path. If he feels that his path should go outside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, then go get it. Is that going to come with some trials and some errors. Of course it does, but we ask for this life as hoopers. This is what we do."
As part of the Warriors’ success, Kevin Durant was able to reach three NBA Finals and win two Finals MVP awards. With Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson alongside him, it was very difficult to get the better of the Dubs.
However, after achieving such a great level of success, the 33-year-old decided to team up with Kyrie Irving as part of the Brooklyn Nets.
2019:
Kevin Durant leaves Warriors to join Nets
Kyrie Irving leaves Celtics to join Nets
2022:
Celtics and Warriors advanced to NBA Finals https://t.co/DL5zcxQJDa
His stint in Brooklyn has not been fruitful, but he still has a few more years left to prove his point. Further expressing his thoughts about Durant's decision to leave the Warriors, Jay Williams said:
"I feel like as an athlete, you are dammed if you do, you're dammed if you don't. Like VC and T-Mac, him and Steve Nash, 'Oh you can't do without this guy,' it's like, the dude was in Golden State, media and people we're trying to rip him away from Golden State, they were killing him for that.
"Now he leaves to go to Brooklyn to do it by himself, faces some adversity and he's getting killed for not being on Golden State, damn what are we doing?"
Will Kevin Durant be able to win a championship with the Brooklyn Nets?
Kevin Durant's decision to join the Nets has been highly questionable due to the team's lack of success over the last two seasons. Despite having Kyrie Irving, James Harden and Durant, they have not been able to make a significant impact in the postseason.
Because of the Warriors success this season I strongly believe that all eyes will be on Kevin Durant. He’s going to be the player under the most pressure next season!!! Carry the hell on… https://t.co/xXK7dNyEth
A lot of this is due to injuries, but the controversies are another reason why the team has not been able to perform consistently. However, with the window for a championship slowly closing, Durant will be gunning to get his hands on the Larry O'Brien trophy before the end of his career.
Kyrie Irving's future with the Nets hangs in the balance and the team will certainly have to figure something out before the start of next season. Durant will be keen to continue playing with Irving as the duo can torment defenses with their offensive power.
I have never seen a fan base dislike a player who won even a single championship with them like warriors fans dislike Kevin Durant (who won 2 championships and 2 finals MVPs with them) https://t.co/0QO9WeKNXQ
With Ben Simmons and Joe Harris expected to be back, the Nets team will be at full strength next season. Having seen a lot of setbacks, Durant will be hoping to deliver elite performances and lead the franchise to their first NBA championship.