Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)
Kevin Durant is a heavily accomplished player, a league MVP in 2014, nine-time NBA All-Star four time league scoring leader, and recently a two-time NBA champion. There is no question Durant is NBA champion caliber, but rather if the way he did it was ethical or even gave a sense of fulfillment.
He spent eight years of his career with the newly franchised Oklahoma City Thunder, a franchise he automatically became the face of. During his time in Oklahoma, he averaged no less than 25 points and was arguably the best player in the world.
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The Thunder was a breakthrough team during Durant’s time, one that frequently made deep playoff runs. The peak came in an appearance in the 2012 NBA Finals, a losing effort to the Miami Heat. Keep in mind, this was a Thunder roster that featured three future league MVPs, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Kevin Durant.
In 2016, Durant became a free agent and signed with the Golden State Warriors. The Warriors were fresh off a NBA regular season record of 73-9 and had beat the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals that year. This was a Warriors team that already had two Finals appearances, and the greatness of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
As an obvious result, with the signing of Durant, the Warriors became heavily favored to win a championship, which happened. In 2017 and 2018, the Warriors effortlessly beat the Cavaliers in the Finals, with Durant capturing both Finals MVP awards.
Durant’s championships are the equivalent to a grown man fighting a 12 year old and bragging about winning. The Warriors greatest competition between themselves and a ring was the Cavaliers, which was essentially just LeBron James.
While leaving Oklahoma City ensured a championship, winning for the franchise that stayed loyal to him would have been more rewarding. The team had after all reached the Western Conference Finals months before Durant jumped ship.