GOLDEN STATE OF MIND
Kevin Durant joins the Western Conference champions, giving the Warriors an even more lethal ’death lineup’,
OAKLAND, CALIF.— Kevin Durant decided his best chance for “growth” means leaving his beloved Oklahoma City behind for a big move out West to join the star-studded, record-setting Golden State Warriors and play alongside Splash Brothers Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson.
In the most anticipated move of the NBA off-season, Durant announced his decision Monday on The Players’ Tribune. His contract is for $54 million over two years and includes a player option, sources say. Durant’s move will become official as soon as Thursday, when free agents can sign their new contracts. Independence Day, indeed. “The primary mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the potential for my growth as a player — as that has always steered me in the right direction,” Durant wrote in the article.
“But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth. With this in mind, I have decided that I am going to join the Golden State Warriors.”
And the 2015 champion Warriors, who squandered a 3-1 NBA Finals lead to lose to LeBron James and the Cavaliers last month, know how tough Durant is in any lineup: They rallied from down 3-1 to beat Durant and the Thunder in a seven-game Western Conference final.
Golden State applied a full-court press to land Durant.
On Friday in the Hamptons, the Warriors sent owner Joe Lacob, general manager Bob Myers, coach of the year Steve Kerr, Curry and Thompson to meet with the six-foot-nine superstar.
The 2014 MVP and four-time scoring champion led the Thunder to the NBA Finals in 2012, and to the Western Conference final in four of the past six years — and he’s only 27.
Durant met with the Thunder, Warriors, Los Angeles Clippers, Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs and Miami Heat once teams could begin negotiating with free agents.
With the addition of Durant, the Warriors become the league’s latest team to add a superstar chasing a championship to a lineup of all-stars. James made the move from Cleveland to Miami in 2010, joining a lineup alongside Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh. They reached four NBA Finals as a group and won two championships.
“I’m from Washington, D.C. origi- nally, but Oklahoma City truly raised me. It taught me so much about family as well as what it means to be a man,” Durant said.
“It really pains me to know that I will disappoint so many people with this choice, but I believe I am doing what I feel is the right thing at this point in my life.”
He should be a good fit in Golden State’s varying lineups and gives all- star Draymond Green another physical body and rebounding presence to complement three-point aces Curry and Thompson.
The Warriors topped the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls’ mark and set the NBA regular-season wins record with 73 victories and led the league in scoring.
Adding Durant will give the Warriors another chance to chase a title after the bitter feeling that was this season — a record-setting year that ended without the team’s biggest goal being reached.
Durant has had to carry much of the scoring load for the Thunder over the years but having Curry, Green and Thompson on the floor with him should open up the kind of space he hasn’t had during his tenure in Oklahoma City.