“Why would he leave Golden State? Because we f*****g told him to” - Nick Wright defends Kevin Durant over leaving the Warriors, says KD has to be frustrated over media narrative
Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors joined forces in 2016 to become one of the greatest super teams of all time. They were simply unstoppable, and in their first playoff run together, they only lost one game.
The addition of Durant, one of the greatest players of his generation, to the Warriors was mindblowing. After all, Golden State already had Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
In the first two years, the Warriors and Durant won two championships before losing to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals. The forward played only 12 minutes against the Raptors due to a strained right calf and then an Achilles tendon injury.
That summer, the deadly scorer joined the Brooklyn Nets through a sign-and-trade deal. If he had stayed in California, he likely would have won another championship. However, the superstar did not like the media narrative and wanted to win on his own.
Nick Wright spoke about KD's decision to leave the Warriors. While he agrees that Durant needs to win a championship outside of Golden State, he also understands why the superstar left.
"Where I will defend Kevin Durant is this, because what is happening right now is people like, 'Oh, my god, he made such a mistake. Why would he leave Golden State?'" Wright said. "Because we f*****g told him to! The whole media said, 'Your legacy will be trashed forever unless you leave, unless you go win somewhere else.'"
Wright also said the media was hypocritical in saying Durant and Curry could have won seven titles together.
Kevin Durant wanted to win on his own terms
Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors to win a championship. However, he did not like how the media portrayed him during his three seasons. The Warriors were unstoppable, and they completely ruined the balance in the league.
Durant left them in an attempt to win a championship on his own terms. He teamed up with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn, and the team eventually acquired James Harden, Durant's former teammate.
What's next for Durant and his Nets?
The Brooklyn Nets and Kevin Durant had another disappointing season, going 44-38 this season. They were swept in the first round by the Boston Celtics, and their future is uncertain.
The Nets have a lot of free agents this summer, including Irving. While Irving has a player option on his contract, he would prefer to get a maximum extension instead of just one more year.
Kevin Durant chose to play with Kyrie Irving over Steph Curry just for Kyrie to leave him 😭
Despite being a fantastic player, the point guard is controversial, and he missed 53 games this season due to his beliefs. He's played only 103 of 226 regular season games in his three seasons in Brooklyn. Keeping him on the team for the long term is not a great idea, which is why the Nets would prefer to give him a new contract every year.
Durant, on the other hand, desperately wants to win it all once again. With the East getting stronger, time is running out, and he may not win another ring in his career.