"Steph, Klay, Draymond and Steve Kerr are laughing their b**ts off" - Colin Cowherd believes Kevin Durant shot himself in the foot by leaving Golden State Warriors

Kevin Durant's playoff record outside of Golden State is horrible. [Photo: Chico Enterprise-Record]

Kevin Durant has two championships on his resume, playing for Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors alongside Steph Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson. If not for his and Thompson’s injury in the 2019 finals against the Toronto Raptors, KD might have won a three-peat.

Instead of sticking with the dynastic Warriors and having little to no fanfare contending for titles, Durant bolted to Brooklyn to team up with Kyrie Irving. Since relocating to Apple City to form a super team with "Kai," James Harden and then Ben Simmons, KD has won only one playoff series.

Following the Nets’ disastrous first-round sweep against the Boston Celtics, Colin Cowherd, on his podcast, pointed out KD’s terrible choice to leave the Warriors:

“Steph, Klay, Draymond and Steve Kerr are laughing their b**ts off. They’re saying, ‘We told you not to leave, we told you it was a good thing here.” And Kevin Durant struggled with that. Draymond confronted him, you remember the video? ‘Hey, we won before you were here, we’ll win when you’re gone.’ They’re right and KD’s wrong.”

Why Kevin Durant left the Warriors, according to Kevin Durant

sbnation.com/nba/2019/10/31…

After Durant’s breakup with the Warriors, it was the Brooklyn Nets who reached the playoffs first. Although KD didn’t play, the Nets competed in the 2020 postseason and were swept by the defending champion Raptors.

Without KD and Klay Thompson in the lineup, the Warriors missed the playoffs for two straight years after the 2019 NBA Finals. However, they look like they’re back with a vengeance, posting the 2022 playoffs’ best offensive rating and putting the Denver Nuggets on the brink of elimination.

Kevin Durant, on the other hand, had to contend with a drama-filled season courtesy of Kyrie Irving and James Harden. To top it off, Ben Simmons, the player the Nets got in exchange for Harden, is turning out to be even more of a bigger head-shaker than “The Beard.”

“If [the Nets] do not win a championship. … Kevin Durant is on the verge for being recognized more so for the guy that left Steph Curry to go with Kyrie Irving, than he is for the two chips and two finals MVP.”

—@stephenasmith 😳 https://t.co/HqCuCP86WS

While the Golden State Warriors are suddenly looking like legit contenders for years to come, the Brooklyn Nets have a sea of uncertainties to navigate. KD essentially traded the stability, culture and consistency of his former team for the self-inflicted woes and chaos of his new squad.

Kevin Durant’s legacy could be tarnished by his inability to win without Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green

Many are questioning KD's capacity to win a championship without the Warriors. [Photo: EssentiallySports]

Kevin Durant was the Finals MVP in two of the Golden State Warriors’ three championships. But as Green harshly put it in his confrontation with Durant, they won a title before KD arrived and are likely to win again without KD.

Durant’s sizzling record with the Warriors is 38-10 in the postseason. After the sweep against the Celtics, he’s now dropped to 57-50 without the Golden State’s iconic trio.

The Brooklyn Nets have tied Kevin Durant up until the 2025-26 season. Ben Simmons’ contract runs until the 2025 campaign while Kyrie Irving has a couple of options on the table with the Brooklyn Nets. Durant, however, is the most reliable and stable superstar as Simmons’ status is anybody’s guess.

Ben Simmons pulled himself from his expected season debut, leaving the Nets searching for answers.

@ShamsCharania has the latest intel:

theathletic.com/3273384/2022/0… https://t.co/2bn2aZ3zo9

Irving is committed to staying with the Nets, but Brooklyn’s approach to the mercurial point guard could be something to watch out for in the offseason. “Uncle Drew” could opt out and ask for a max of five years worth $245 million, something the Nets might walk away from.

Whatever the case may be, Kevin Durant’s window as a franchise player winning a title on his own is slowly closing. He’s one of the greatest to ever play the game, but his legacy as a true champion will always be in doubt in the eyes of some basketball fans.