12/21/24
July 04, 2016
Kevin Durant signs with Golden State: Durant: "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 and my playing career."
posted by Ufez Jones to basketball at 12:11 PM - 9 comments
The NBA will never let that happen.
posted by cixelsyd at 01:25 PM on July 04, 2016
Disappointed. Wanted to see the outstanding competition in the West continue to develop.
Prefer the heavyweight head to head conference matchups rather than having an ExxonMobil conglomerate team in the mix.
Now I wish the Thunder had won Game 7. Regardless of the Finals outcome. Which makes me wonder how much of this is not Durant thinking that the Thunder couldn't beat GS but him thinking that OKC couldn't beat LeBron.
I'm also a fan of "the rest of the team" and the whole being greater than the sum of the parts, so I feel bad for the guys that GSW is going to have to cut loose to sign Durant. Bogut will have to go and the Lakers could have had him instead of Mosgov. I like that Kerr trusts and relies on his bench so I hope he ends up with a bench worth trusting.
Also takes away the feel good angle to Kerr's coaching. Now the team needs to be all time otherworldly or else. No room for error and the hate will be deep regardless. A fair amount of the fun is going to be lost. It'll be as though Lacob sold the team to Larry Ellison.
If Durant continues to defend well, he'll only need to contribute a modest handful of mid-range twos per game on offense for the team to win. Hope he's OK with that.
Kerr hopefully learned something from this past season. The first guy who says he wants to go for 74 wins should be sent home for the day.
I wish I had the Steve Ballmer vodka account. I have college tuitions to pay.
posted by beaverboard at 01:37 PM on July 04, 2016
It's almost like some sort of WWE story line is developing.
LeBron was the "face", then became the "heel" when he joined Miami. Then he became the "tweener" when he went back to Cleveland.
GSW (Curry) become the new "face" with the fast play and exciting results.
Then, GSW do a heel turn by taunting LeBron in this year finals, and LeBron completes his "face turn" by overcoming the odds and winning for his home town.
GSW then completes the "heel turn" by bringing in a former enemy to join them to try and crush LeBron again.
posted by grum@work at 03:18 PM on July 04, 2016
Wait...so...GSW is now the New World Order?
posted by NoMich at 08:13 PM on July 04, 2016
If it means more Al Jourgensen during TNT broadcasts, sign me right up.
posted by Ufez Jones at 09:15 PM on July 04, 2016
No, ufie, not this NWO, *this* NWO.
posted by NoMich at 11:18 PM on July 04, 2016
A more recent wrestling storyline version.
posted by Etrigan at 09:29 AM on July 05, 2016
Yes, the Shield implosion/betrayal is a great choice.
Now, they have to follow it up with KD/Rollins doing a curb stomp on Bogut/Orton as a sign that he's been kicked out of the Authority.
posted by grum@work at 11:23 AM on July 05, 2016
Naive question: Does this mean the Warriors will go 98-0 (barring injuries)?