Kevin Durant signing with the New York Knicks would be a win for the NBA
By Tron Griffin
Kevin Durant joining the New York Knicks in free agency this summer would do wonders for the NBA
Dynasties are a big part of NBA history. Bill Russell and the 1950-60’s Boston Celtics, Magic Johnson and the 1980’s Los Angeles Lakers, Larry Bird and the 1980’s Celtics, Michael Jordan and the 1990’s Chicago Bulls and Tim Duncan and the 2000’s San Antonio Spurs.
Being a star player on a dynasty team can help an NBA player go from being a good to great player into a legend.
For the Golden State Warriors, Stephen Curry, three NBA championships and two MVP’s have put him in the discussion as one of the Top 20 players in the history of the NBA with him likely having 3-4 prime years left to move in the Top 15.
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For Steph’s teammate, Kevin Durant, joining the 73 win Warriors was a no-brainer. The Warriors made him a two-time champion and a two-time Finals MVP, but most importantly, joining the Warriors made sure he wouldn’t end his career without a ring like Charles Barkley and Patrick Ewing.
For the fans of the NBA, the Warriors dynasty meant a refreshing new era of basketball where the 3-point shot was the best shot. They represented the skill over athleticism approach to basketball that most fans could relate to since the average NBA fan is likely under 6-foot-3 and probably can’t dunk a basketball.
Many fans and kids of the league saw themselves in Curry who is not the tallest player but can shoot the ball to overcompensate for his lack of athleticism. The Warriors without a doubt was good for the league and for the game of basketball.
Now, the Warriors with Durant have lost that refreshing new era of basketball feeling. They have become too dominate to the point where we expect for them to win the championship this year without a serious challenge.
Durant leaving the Warriors would be good for the NBA. If the whispers are true, he might be signing with the New York Knicks during the summer, who could also draft Duke University Zion Williamson (if they land the No. 1 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft).
Durant and Williamson would make the Knicks games a must watch event. And if Kyrie Irving joins them, the talk would quickly be how long will it take for the Knicks to win a championship, but more importantly, the Warriors would not be the outright favorite to win the championship year-after-year anymore.
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Warriors fans will say Russell and the Celtics were more dominant than today’s Warriors, but that was a different time period. NBA fans have more options for entertainment than fans of the 1950-60’s could dream of back then. The NBA must be competitive to get high ratings or fans likely won’t tune in, and Kevin Durant making the move to the Knicks might be exactly how to make that happen.