The 2012 Oklahoma City Thunder team featured a young Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden going toe to toe against the Big 3 of the Miami Heat. It featured two of the best players in LeBron James and KD going head to head for the first time in the NBA Finals.
While it ended in LBJ winning the first ring of his career, initially it felt like the young OKC team had a chance of winning. After all, they opened the series by taking game 1. But after the initial stumble, the Heat never let OKC make a comeback.
Durant had an amazing run in the postseason averaging more than 28 points per game. It was understandable that he broke down after getting so close to winning an NBA championship.
Usually, Durant carries himself pretty well, but after that defeat, he just hugged his mother and cried for a while.
It took him five more years to finally win the first ring of his career. But this time around, he was no longer an OKC player and donned a Golden State Warriors jersey. During that time, KD was unarguably the most hated player in the league.
The reason was simple: He essentially destroyed the power balance in the league by joining the Warriors. At the end of the day, it was all worth it as when he left the Warriors he was a two-time NBA champion while winning the finals MVP both times.
Currently, KD plays for the Brooklyn Nets. Although he is still part of a super team, the league has changed. The Nets aren’t the only super team in the league. Furthermore, Durant came back from a career-ending injury, yet he still looks as sharp as ever.
The only thing that fans want to see now is whether he can help the Nets win their first-ever NBA championship. Brooklyn is a powerhouse, and it is quite possible that Durant will end his career with the organization. However, his stay with the team will be tainted if he fails to at least win one ring with such an amazing team around him.
