One of the most shocking moves of the summer wasn’t that Kevin Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets, it’s that he left the Warriors to begin with.
Since signing there in the 2016 offseason, he has seen unprecedented success — making three straight Finals appearances, winning two-straight Championships and back-to-back Finals MVPs. Injuries robbed the Warriors of what could have been another stellar season but upon their return, who is to say that Golden State wouldn’t have returned back to their dominant ways?
So why did Kevin Durant leave? Apparently, it’s a two-sided question.
On one hand, Durant’s relationship with Draymond Green played a significant role.
On the court, even after Durant claimed his second title over James and the Cavs, his relationship with Green took a hit, as a verbal sideline spat during a game against the Clippers in Los Anglees defined his headline-plagued final Warriors season. Durant became more distant from his teammates. Then, the player who once came to the Bay seeking a family environment left feeling like distant kinfolk.
Durant and Draymond had their famous altercation in November when a disagreement about something on the court turned into a spat in the locker room, where Draymond allegedly challenged KD’s upcoming free-agency. By all accounts, things changed for Durant after that. Even Durant himself admitted it was one of the reasons he left.
Here's why KD was so mad at Draymond 🤬 https://t.co/pub3L5o3my
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) November 13, 2018
"Definitely. For sure. I'm not gonna lie about it."
–Kevin Durant on if his heated exchange with Draymond Green was a factor in his decision to leave the Warriors
(via @firsttake) pic.twitter.com/luuS6Fd22C
— ESPN (@espn) October 31, 2019
On the more personal side, financial disagreements with his family (most notably his brother and mother) caused them to move East and away from Oracle Arena. This declining family dynamic, no doubt, played a role in Durant’s decision to move to the East coast.
But in the days after Durant’s first championship parade, things began to change for him. In the ensuing years, the bonds he built began to deteriorate. His mother, Wanda, a mainstay at Oracle Arena during his first season in Oakland, had financial disagreements with her son, according to the Wall Street Journal, and rarely came around as she and his brother, Wayne, retreated back East.
So, Durant’s relationships began to deteriorate — both with his teammates and with his family. It was time to start over.
In Brooklyn, nobody knows how things will end. Will it be his new home or is it just another stop in his nomadic adventure? We’ll just have to wait and see.
