NBA Finals- Kevin Durant vindicates his move to the Warriors by hitting a massive shot over LeBron James in 2017
One of Kevin Durant's biggest highlights with the Golden State Warriors came when he hit a clutch shot over LeBron James in the 2017 NBA Finals. The Cleveland Cavaliers, down 2-0, led the Warriors 113-111 in Game 3 with 45 seconds left. A win in that contest would've potentially stretched the series longer and given the Dubs some headaches.
However, Durant willed the Warriors to a win after hitting a clutch 3-pointer over LeBron to give the team a 114-113 lead. Here's a clip of that shot:
Kevin Durant's Game 3 dagger 😤
KD drills the go-ahead shot over LeBron as the Warriors (-3.5) win 118-113 to take a 3-0 lead in the 2017 finals https://t.co/Xa9IEEtbZ9
Kevin Durant also made a pair of free throws after that, and the Warriors won the contest 118-113. They put themselves in a commanding position with a 3-0 lead. The Cavs managed a 3-1 comeback a year ago, but 3-0 was a steeper task, especially with Durant on the Warriors roster.
That shot proved right there the difference Durant made for the Warriors in that stretch. As veteran forward Draymond Green mentioned a year ago during a collaboration episode between his and JJ Redick's podcast, the Warriors may not have won two championships in 2017 and 2018, if not for KD.
LeBron James and Co. and a few other teams had figured out the Warriors' system. Durant added that 'X-factor' as someone who could score at will. According to Green, Steph Curry was still a work in progress in that regard, something that changed in 2021 when the offense was structured around him.
That helped the Warriors win a championship in 2022, despite not having a force like Kevin Durant.
Kevin Durant doesn't get enough credit for his championship runs with Warriors
Kevin Durant's move to the Golden State Warriors wasn't received well by anyone, not within the organization and its fans. Critics believed he took an easy route to win a chip by joining a team coming off a historic 73-9 season. The Warriors already had three All-Stars and one of the most impactful role players, Andre Iguodala, on that roster.
Some narratives suggest Steph Curry and the Warriors carried Durant to his only two championship wins. However, the two parties equally needed each other. The Cavaliers were just as good as the Warriors before that. The others were also catching up. The OKC Thunder, with Kevin Durant, were up 3-1 against the Warriors in 2016 before they blew that advantage and lost the conference finals.
Bob Myers said Kevin Durant called him today when hearing of the news. Took some time during his long rundown of the players to acknowledge Durant. https://t.co/2Jla3plj3K
Durant could've succumbed to the criticism of forming a superteam and potentially choked, but he didn't. He shut the outside noise and guided the Warriors to two championships as the best player on the roster. KD was the finals MVP on both occasions and deservingly so.