Kevin Durant made one of the most hated free agency decisions in NBA history in 2016 when he joined the Golden State Warriors, fresh off a 73-9 season and just one game shy of winning the 2016 NBA Championship. Durant’s move was incredibly criticized, as many saw KD joining the team he couldn’t overcome in the Western Conference Finals.
Durant was tired of coming up short in the playoffs. He hadn’t reached the NBA Finals since 2012 at that point when he and OKC lost to LeBron James and the Miami Heat in 5 games. So he felt joining the Warriors would be the best course of action in order to finally win the NBA championship.
Durant and the Warriors steamrolled the competition, winning the 2017 and 2018 NBA championships, losing only 1 game in the two Finals series. He and the Warriors dominated LeBron and the Cavaliers, in some of the most one-sided NBA Finals series in history.
But KD doesn’t see it that way. Durant spoke about the 2017 NBA Finals, saying that he considers that series a perfectly even matchup. The Cavaliers had a big three with LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, and Kevin Love, whereas the Warriors replaced Draymond Green with Kevin Durant in their big three, as Green took on a more reserved role.
“Perfectly even matchup fam… Top to bottom.”
Durant hasn’t been shy in talking about the 2017 NBA Finals recently. Last year, he said that the 2017 NBA Finals series was better than the 2021 NBA Finals between the Phoenix Suns and the Milwaukee Bucks. Fans may disagree, but they can’t change the way Durant feels.
Durant will probably want to win another NBA championship, especially now that he has joined the Nets. With a big three of KD, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, they have a pretty good chance to win.
