“Be proud of not just the players, but everybody in the organization” - Kevin Durant’s final message to his team before leaving for Golden State in 2016
Despite the crushing loss in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, which typically would have kept players from attending the postgame press conference, Oklahoma City Thunder superstar Kevin Durant surprisingly appeared upbeat when he addressed the media. His teammate Russell Westbrook, on the other hand, had a different look. He slumped in his chair and avoided making eye contact with anyone.
“But when you sit down and look back at what happened throughout the season, you can be proud of not just the players, but everybody in the organization, from the top to the bottom, people that you guys don't know or ever see contribute to what we bring out on the court,” Durant said following a 96-88 loss to the Warriors in Game 7. “That's just pride, effort, passion, love for the game. Pure love for the game every single night, and that comes from just walking into our practice facility every single day and feeling those vibes and feeling that energy from everyone. I'm just proud of what we've all been through this season. We stuck together, and we sacrificed for each other. That's just what makes this game so special."
Durant was clearly optimistic — for better or for worse, depending on how you look at it. While he didn’t sound like someone who was ready to depart, eight years later, we can wrap our minds around exactly why he wasn’t feeling too down. After all, he was setting up shop to join the NBA’s most explosive team weeks later.
An exit planned all along?
After Durant departed from Oklahoma City, there was much speculation about what the superstar’s plans were all along. In fact, there’s enough reason to believe the future Hall of Famer was drawn to the Warriors more than a year before his free agency decision was due.
According to Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, the culture and vibe in Golden State might have played a significant role in luring the 27-year-old superstar to the Bay. Were things overly strict in OKC? Perhaps they were.
“I know that the way we went about our business was pretty unique," Kerr said of Durant, per Drew Shiller of NBC Sports Bay Area. "Very different from OKC and San Antonio, much looser. Players are given a lot more autonomy. I think that might have appealed to Kevin.
"I think after that first year, I think a lot of people watched us play around the league, and they liked our style, and they saw the joy that was being displayed by our players and our fans, and they saw the talent. They saw the way our guys played and they wanted to be a part of it and I think that's what attracted Kevin,” he added.
A career-altering move
Durant’s move to the Warriors instantly made him the most hated man in sports. While it might not have been as much heat as LeBron James caught when he joined the Miami Heat in 2010, KD spent long hours in his room alone to try and cope with the media storm that bombarded him every day throughout the long 2016 summer.
In the end, it paid off. No. 35 captured back-to-back championships and NBA Finals MVPs before turning 30 years of age. In 2019, Durant could’ve been the first MVP, along with Steph Curry, to 3-peat in the Finals since Shaquille O’Neal did it with the L.A. Lakers 17 years earlier. Durant ended up departing after the 2019 NBA Finals to the Brooklyn Nets. Although he didn’t nearly catch the same backlash the second time around, many argue he would’ve been better served remaining a Warrior for the remainder of his career.
