“The prisoners are running the show & not the warden” – Julius Erving fires shot at Kevin Durant amid Damian Lillard-Trail Blazers saga
Throughout his illustrious career, Kevin Durant has suited up for multiple franchises. This has made him the target of a lot of backlash over the years, and most recently by a current Hall of Famer.
During a recent interview, Julius Erving was asked about the constant movement of star players in today's game, more specifically, Portland Trail Blazers superstar Damian Lillard trying to work his way to the Miami Heat.
As someone who spent his entire NBA career with one team, Erving feels this is bad for the game. He took a specific shot at Kevin Durant during his rant as a high-level player that has played for several teams now:
"The prisoners are running the show and not the warden...They are business decisions, but they have not helped the game.
"Look at how many times Durant has hopped around, no for real."
Erving played for multiple squads in the ABA, but remained loyal when he got to the NBA. He played for the Philadelphia 76ers for 11 years and helped deliver a championship in 1983.
Should Kevin Durant be seen in a different light as Damian Lillard?
While Julius Erving took a shot at Kevin Durant for bouncing around, he agreed with Lillard's decision. He feels the star guard wants to win a title, and said the Miami Heat give him a better chance than the Portland Trail Blazers.
If that is the criteria for leaving being okay, then Durant should possibly not have caught any backlash. All of his moves were arguably for that same reason.
"KD" joined the Golden State Warriors because the OKC Thunder couldn't get over the hump. Then, he left for the Brooklyn Nets to form his own juggernaut with Kyrie Irving.
After a few years, it was clear that the Nets were not going to be real contenders in the Eastern Conference. Instead of just riding it out, Durant requested a trade to be in a spot to contend. This landed him on the Phoenix Suns, where he is now flanked by Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.
Durant was criticized for joining an already good team, but the same can be said for Lillard now. He only wants to play for the Miami Heat, who have made the conference finals in three of the last four seasons.