Stephen A. Smith doubles down on denunciation of Kevin Durant's move to Warriors: "Still believe it was the weakest move"
When it comes to NBA stars changing teams, Kevin Durant is one of the first names mentioned. Years later, the former MVP is criticized for his major free agency decision. One longtime NBA analyst still sees it as the weakest move from a superstar.
Back in 2016, Kevin Durant famously made the decision to leave the OKC Thunder and sign with the Golden State Warriors. This was met with a lot of backlash as he was a top-five player joinging an already title-winning team. KD went on to help Golden State add two more championships to their dynasty.
During a recent interview with GQ, Stephen A. Smith was asked about Durant's decision to go to Golden State. He stood with his thoughts when it first happened, that it was a weak move from one of the top players in the NBA.
"I still believe it was the weakest move I ever saw for a superstar. There was no competition," Smith said. "That was the least amount of games I watched in the NBA season of my career because I knew no one had a chance of beating Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors because they were far too superior."
Durant eventually left the Warriors in 2019 to join forces with Kyrie Irving on the Brooklyn Nets.
Stephen A. Smith did not hold back on Kevin Durant when he first joined Golden State
When this move first became official, Stephen A. Smith was one of the first to give his thoughts on Kevin Durant leaving the OKC Thunder. He wasn't mad at him for departing, but where he opted to go. Before signing with the Golden State Warriors, they elminated KD and the Thunder in the previous postseason.
"I'm viewing it as the weakest move I've ever seen from a superstar, plain and simple," Smith said.
"You depart for the team that beat you? When you're on the cusp of getting to the finals yourself or ultimately winning a championship with the franchise you've been with since you've come into the NBA. I think it's incredibly weak."
At that time, the OKC Thunder were one of the top teams in the Western Conference. Aside from making the conference finals that year, they weren't far removed from playing in the finals themselves. In 2012, Durant and company squared off against LeBron James and the Miami Heat. However, they ended up losing the series in five games.
Based on his most recent remarks, it's clear that Stephen A. will never get over Kevin Durant's decision to sign with the Warriors.