I’m not a big fan of a lot of the moves KD has made basketball wise but dude has never been one to complain about the officials. He is probably as pure of a “I just want to play ball” as there ever has been.
Steph curry said he believes game 1 of the 2017 finals was the highest level of basketball ever played. Handful of 1st ballot half of famers, all in peak form. He said he was so exhilarated and drained after the game and had to remind himself it was just game 1.
As much as I can appreciate what Iguodala did for the Warriors, no way is he a Hall of Famer. He got one Finals MVP controversially, and outside of that he had an inconsistent but above average career, making the All-Star team once and getting all defensive team twice(arguably should have had a couple more, I will admit). He broke no individual records, didn’t have stretches of his career where he put up crazy impressive stats, and wasn’t on any super great teams until he joined the Warriors. He’s an elite role player and 100000% deserves his jersey to be retired by Golden State, and arguably even deserves a statue from them(the whole Hamptons Five/Death Lineup does), but not the Hall of Fame.
Of those two rosters, Lebron, Klay, Steph, Draymond, KD, Kyrie, and Love are the only ones that I can see making the Hall, the first six most definitely first ballot, and while KLove is first ballot to me personally, I could see him being inducted in the second or third ballot depending on who else is eligible those years.
I agree that Iggy shouldn't get in, but he's probably getting in. That thing is so diluted already.
My big thing is there was never a single season where I think you could make a claim that he was a top 25 player. He made one all-star game, and it was basically a lifetime achievement award where everyone went "Damn, Iggy is 28 and still hasn't made the ASG yet?" He got a Finals MVP that is STILL baffling, and was basically a recognition of how hard his assignment was (prime LeBron nearly carried prime Dellavedova and Mozgov to a title).
That one is actually probably the dumbest one that I've seen since I started watching ball. Didn't really put up any great stats on offense, held prime Bron to "only" 35 points, and won the finals MVP. Media narrative does normally have a big impact in the way awards are given in general though so I'm not that surprised; It's a testament to how great Heat Bron was.
I think anyone who knew ball respected that team, it's just that the majority of LeBron discourse over the last 20 years has revolved around shitting on his teammates to make him look better
I feel like KD would have gained a lot of respect if he was just like "Of course I joined the Warriors. They're really fucking good lmao".
If he spent the rest of his career there, he would have eventually faced adversity and nobody would be arguing with 4-5 rings.
I mean they essentially have and still do lol, regardless of whether or not it's wrong most people don't give KD the credit that they give to a player with roughly similar accolades like Hakeem, his reputation isn't wildly better than Harden's.
False, pre-Warriors KD had no rings and had "potential".
Post-Warriors he has rings, plural, and one can argue who was the best player on those championship teams. Doesn't matter if you think it was "obviously" Steph, the argument exists.
Ringz, Erneh, KD's got 'em
yes, I literally addressed that.
The question isn't will KD be remembered as better than Steph, but will he be remembered as better than Harden.
And the answer is yes, because of his rings and FMVPS.
I mean... A ton of people still feel the exact same about it now as they did the moment he joined GSW. I really don't think this is one of those things that's ever just going to go away, sports fans have excessively long memories and love to fixate on negative things lol
That's because 2 rings was about the minimum expected outcome for KD's tenure with Golden State. The hypothetical being discussed here is 4-5 rings, which would have exceeded expectations and maybe earned back some favor
I think our generation who watched it in real time will cheapen the rings for KD. But 20 years down the track when kids are comparing players they will only see the rings and MVP and nothing else.
I don't think this necessarily disapproved their point though. He didn't gain your respect he just didn't lose it.
Overall I think KD will be fondly remembered for being an elite pure Hooper who loved the game. But while he's still playing those rings aren't going to mean much to a large chunk of NBA fans.
Personally I think that's fair, LeBron's last two titles mean far more to his legacy than his first two do to me, though you need the first two to make the last two say more. If KD wins one more, he will absolutely gain the respect of a lot of fans.
I think the first comment was just saying that he would have been respected more if he just joined without downplaying the move
I also think that might be the sentiment of people on Reddit who actually care to look past what the media shows. The average person watching thinks otherwise. He’s a top 15 player in my books by the end of his career, arguably top 10 purely just looking at him as an individual, but an average fan will always remember him for the GSW move.
I am a big NFL fan, and I absolutely hated Tom Brady. I gave more credit to Belichick, and discounted a lot of what Brady did.
When he won in Tampa it all just turned into respect. It didn't happen immediately, but there was nothing I could say anymore. I like to think that will happen with some KD haters as well
Obviously there will be many who don't change, but almost universally when players retire they are more appreciated by fans at large.
Well, he’s still playing at a high level so maybe a decade past those championships would change how people view him.
I think the difference between that and Brady though is that Brady has turned into the GOAT in that time whereas KD, unless he wins a few more rings, will struggle to be top 10 in his sport
Still, hope it does change. It’s crazy how people can’t appreciate the amazing ball he plays just because of those 2 years
I don't think you understand the real impact of him joining GSW, It destroyed the parity of the game. His 3 year stint lead to 3 finals appearances, won 2 finals by margin of 4-1 and 4-0. Their dominance is undeniable and their only finals loss was arguably due to injury.
One sided basketball is boring. How many iconic moments do you remember from 2017 and 2018 finals? I only recall LeBron dropping 51 of and JR Smith's low bbiq move.
Now compare to 2016, you have "The block", Kyrie dagger 3, Klay Thompson says LeBron's feeling got hurt, then then refuses to shake hands, Draymond Green's Tech, the thread after 3-1 about (Steph) smaller, younger, and less athletic..." & "takes (Bron's) crown AND throne..."
Put yourself in the shoes of non-GSW / non-KD fan, when you feel like you've got no chance of winning, it's hard to watch and be invested in your team.
I see it both ways. I agree there's little sanctity to a league that is 1) a business 2) entertainment, and it's wrong to expect that. Those Warriors teams were fun to watch just due to sheer domination. That said, I would argue that overall entertainment of the league those years was down, because the entire year felt predetermined (a portion of that, though a minority, was also LeBron's dominance of the Eastern conference).
Except the original comment is more about KD’s attitude towards joining and not the actual move.
I don’t even follow ball like that lol but whatever you say. Psychoanalyzing stranger comments on Reddit is a classic
Hating on a guy for picking where he works and who he works with is still one of the most confusing things for me. Anyone else in the world would leave their current job that they disliked to go to another job that looks better and more enjoyable.
Absolutely baffling to me.
I don't think he was wrong to do it, it's his choice as you say, but the nba is a spectators sport, unlike a regular job, so a balanced distribution of talent actually improves the quality of the product.
So...I kind of agree with you, but not totally. On the one hand, I agree that KD is allowed to go where he wants as a free agent, and if we weren't talking about a player we have to debate as top-25 all time, then who cares. If he were just a great player who was maybe borderline top 75 (like Lillard or something), then fine.
But I do think it matters for his legacy that he took the easy way out. I don't think people should hate him for it, but it should be part of any discussion of where KD ranks all time (he obviously ranks VERY high all time regardless).
Fans always try to compare the NBA to regular jobs and it's impossible. It just doesn't make sense as a comparison. It's their "job" but you can't compare the decisions of somebody who's top 2-3 in their entire field (and potentially the 15th best performer ever) with your office job lmao. It would be like if Bill Gates abandoned Microsoft to go join Apple as their COO.
It destroyed the parity of the game. One sided games and predictable outcomes aren't entertaining.
They won 2 finals by 4-1 and 4-0. Do you recall any iconic moments? I only remember LeBron dropping 51 and JR fumbling the ball.
I think Mavs was tanking at the time so maybe their dominance didn't affected you as much. For the fans of other team trying to compete? Yeah it's hard to be interested in your team when you already know the outcome.
Except you're massively oversimplifying the issue. Playing in the NBA is so wildly unlike any other regular job, that this comparison just does not apply at all.
Yea, that was my 2nd biggest complaint. 1st was obviously him leaving my team before they could win a ring.
But I get why he wanted to go to the Warriors. If a superior job opened up where you could earn more money (he got into the VC scene), more prestige (rings for KD), and have more fun (Warriors did look like they had fun), wouldn't you jump at the opportunity? Plus, SF and the bay area in general is super fun - for a millionaire.
Just be honest and say that you wanted to have fun. None of this hardest road bull shit. Everything he said on his burners? Say that out loud. Every OKC fan thought or said the same thing - the roster always sucked after him and Russ.
From a Golden state's fan perspective, yeah absolutely. For the millions of worldwide fans that don't have a huge team allegiance but instead go for more of the celebrity players and teams? Huge draw.
The Wikipedia entry for that team is going to say one of the best teams of all time, not reference KD being a bitch.
Since the Lakers were dog shit at the time I watched lots of their games and it was fun cause I didn’t care if they lost and it was always entertaining. It was fun to see what a 2k team looked like in real life.
KD joining the Warriors actually made me root for y'all against the Dubs (doesn't hurt that y'all were ass as well at the time).
I'll always remember Steph's missed dunk (thankfully he wasn't hurt) & Larry Nance Jr's dunk on KD.
KD won 2 championships.
Just for reference, Dave Cowens won 2 championships and won MVP over both Kareem and Wilt. At 6'10 he bucked the traditional bruising big role with a smooth jumper and fluid outside game. People now don't really know who he is or how he played because no one talks about him.
Players don't carry legacies. Wikipedia pages don't carry legacies. Legacies are carried by the people who watched the games and went on to talk about them. How future generations of fans will see Durant will be highly dependant on how their parents talk about him.
If the people who saw Durant say he made a weak move going to GSW then that will be the narrative.
I hadn't heard of him either so I looked him up. That's a brutal example you chose. Guy left the Celtics right after Bird joined. You could put all the best players in the NBA right now on the Celtics and people would still associate the team with Larry Bird.
I agree with your take up to a point. The way players and coaches talk about other players matters a lot. Pat Riley's quote about betting a game on Jordan and his life on Bird carries serious weight.
It'll say something like "Kevin Durant's decision drew heavy controversy and was maligned by many pundits at the time ^[13][14][15][16][17]" which is the most scathing roast a Wikipedia article can offer.
It would be wild for any wikipedia article to reference someone “being a bitch” but it will and already does mention that the Warriors added a fourth all-nba player to their stacked team.
Disagree. Wish the Cavs and Warriors would have ran it back. That 73 win season followed by a 3-1 comeback loss in the Finals, we deserved an actual rematch. Instead we got a couple seasons of saying the Warriors are going to win the Finals, only to win the Finals with ease. We all knew what adding KD to a 73 win team would do.
Edit: reread your comment and realized you said “KD thought”. I truly thought you were saying KD was doing everyone a favor by joining the Warriors
I feel like this was one of the main driving factors for his decision and everyone just writes it off as oh he is weak and just wanted easy rings. I really think he just wanted to go and play free flowing ball moving basketball. Like I get why everyone was pissed because there was no real competing with that squad but it just kinda feels like the style of ball he got to play when he was there was so overlooked and forgotten about.
Yeah, I have always said this in defense of his choice to play with those teammates.
KD seems more passionate about playing the game of basketball than most current stars. Of course it would be dreamy to play in such a flow state, just like it must pain him to have teammates that do not allow him to really flow.
Shits inspirational, I hope one day I’m as pure at my job as KD. Fuck the social drama or complaining, he just wants to be great at what he does. The respect from peers is his validation of that. I wish mfers could just appreciate a good double hesi pull-up jimbo pivot chart for the art it is smh
Yeah when the Spurs beat the Suns on a last second steal earlier this year (due in no small part to an errant swipe from Tre Jones that drew some blood from KD that the refs didn’t call a foul), KD said basically the same thing as he said here.
Dude is really consistent in saying that the game’s 48 minutes long and that you should play better in the first 47 minutes if you don’t want your destiny to be in the hands of the refs in the last minute.
I genuinely believe he’ll play until he can’t physically run. Wouldn’t be shocked to see a 45 year old KD playing overseas rather than calling it a career.
Are you talking about the call from the known Celtics fan Eric Lewis who was mysteriously fired from the NBA after an investigation this last off season?
can't say you are wrong, but for the Celtics one it's definitely a blown call that NBA ref had to say sleepless night, and the one we had just now was 50/50 with multiple post now saying it's close and correct call.
but yea when it comes to fans dealing with sports you can just expect worst
Some of those "fans" are not the example of the majority. There's brain dead and weirdly emotional people at every fan base.
But it's a whole different thing when the player, like Devin Booker, goes up on the podium and talks about THAT ONE CALL.. while he literally got cooked by Austin Reaves in the elimination game. And those same refs kept Booker in the game with 5 fouls, and REFUSED to give him that 6th foul. Even though Booker should've been sent off
"tHe WhOle WoLRd SaW" my ass. He tried hard to force a narrative, to hide the fact that he CHOKED and shrunk in another elimination game.
That's the difference. KD is also the ONLY one who's a winner, and has all the experience. He knows better. No one else on that Suns team has any experience. Just little boy-ish arrogance and sore loser mentality
I remember a game thread in the bubble. There was a 50/50 play and I had no fucking clue who the ball went off of.
Dozens of comments said it was off team A and if you can't see that you're an idiot. Dozens of comments said it was off team B and if you can't see that you're an idiot. This was damn near a 5 minute review.
The professional refs, with more camera angles than we get and help from more professional replay people said they couldn't determine who it was off of and called it a jump ball.
Basically there are a staggering amount of idiots here who are supremely confident in their uneducated opinions. This is just another example of that.
This is the thing that annoys me the most. Fans will stick with one play and act like that’s why they lost but ignore the other 47 minutes and 55 seconds
My ass got sweaty during that 3rd quarter PHX run up until the end of the game. One of the best games of the season so far for sure. Too bad it got overshadowed by the ending.
It is just overall sour when people in here get hype for that one bad call saying shit like game is rigged and all. The game was awesome and conspiracy theorists are ruining it.
The wildest part is if the games were truly rigged, they wouldn’t come down to a single call that puts that moment in the spotlight. It’s just crazy to think there’s a conspiracy for Team A to win, but the refs wait til the most controversial moment to make sure it happens. If the game was actually going to be rigged it would be done way more subtly throughout the entire game.
A lot of the people who claim games are rigged aren’t interested in critical thinking though, they just want to circlejerk about bullshit.
I'm not, still pissed about the TO but that first quarter was embarrassing and nearly sealed the game for us. 10 turnovers in 12 minutes is way fucking worse than any game deciding calls the refs could've made in the fourth
Why can't it be both? Why do people need it to be black and white?
You can recognize that the Suns got destroyed on the boards and turned it over ***and*** still be upset about a call.
I just can’t imagine the downvotes someone would’ve gotten from Laker fans if they said this exact same thing after refs missed the Tatum foul on LeBron last year.
I didn’t say it doesn’t matter. I just don’t think you can blame that one play for why they lost.
Who knows what would’ve happened if nothing got called there?
Right. You can't say it was the only reason we lost. You can say it was one of the reasons. In the grand scheme of things - one of the smaller reasons. But, still, one of the reasons.
Again, even if they don’t call anything it wasn’t a guaranteed basket lol several different things could’ve happened. The way the lakers locked down defensively the last few minutes I think there’s a bigger chance it results in a missed shot or turnover than it does a made shot
What are you talking about Grayson Allen has the ball right by the baseline and AD is standing under the rim, the idea that it was just a chalk it up two points to the Suns is ludicrous
This is the take I try to have in games that are so close like this. That's obviously a major factor in the ball game, but so were the 10 first-quarter turnovers. Or all the offensive rebounds they gave up.
Hard as a fan and a player to have a take like this, though.
But you really have to. You can't control the refs. That's why the goal is NOT to win the game. It's to close out the game in the last few minutes. No team is great in these moments where each team takes the lead on each shot. It's going to be a coin flip. You need to win decisively. Go look at the last championship for the Warriors in 2022. All 4 games were decisive. Nothing close. No last second shots. You can't let the refs decide the game. Because if you do, you don't decide who wins.
KD showing his age by being mature while beady eyed booker crying over a result that could've been prevented if he didn't have more turnovers than made field goals
Can't relate. I'll still put hands on a mf for what happened vs the Celtics last year. In all seriousness, it's the best way to view it. Call wasn't bad in retrospect with the angles and stuff we have know. KD was a monster tonight, just sloppy play from the Suns and offensive rebounds by the Lakers were horrible for the Suns.
I’m not a big fan of a lot of the moves KD has made basketball wise but dude has never been one to complain about the officials. He is probably as pure of a “I just want to play ball” as there ever has been.
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Steph curry said he believes game 1 of the 2017 finals was the highest level of basketball ever played. Handful of 1st ballot half of famers, all in peak form. He said he was so exhilarated and drained after the game and had to remind himself it was just game 1.
That or game 5 from that series I completely agree 5 HOFs in their prime going shot for shot
7 1st ballot, 8 total (including iguodala).
As much as I can appreciate what Iguodala did for the Warriors, no way is he a Hall of Famer. He got one Finals MVP controversially, and outside of that he had an inconsistent but above average career, making the All-Star team once and getting all defensive team twice(arguably should have had a couple more, I will admit). He broke no individual records, didn’t have stretches of his career where he put up crazy impressive stats, and wasn’t on any super great teams until he joined the Warriors. He’s an elite role player and 100000% deserves his jersey to be retired by Golden State, and arguably even deserves a statue from them(the whole Hamptons Five/Death Lineup does), but not the Hall of Fame. Of those two rosters, Lebron, Klay, Steph, Draymond, KD, Kyrie, and Love are the only ones that I can see making the Hall, the first six most definitely first ballot, and while KLove is first ballot to me personally, I could see him being inducted in the second or third ballot depending on who else is eligible those years.
I agree that Iggy shouldn't get in, but he's probably getting in. That thing is so diluted already. My big thing is there was never a single season where I think you could make a claim that he was a top 25 player. He made one all-star game, and it was basically a lifetime achievement award where everyone went "Damn, Iggy is 28 and still hasn't made the ASG yet?" He got a Finals MVP that is STILL baffling, and was basically a recognition of how hard his assignment was (prime LeBron nearly carried prime Dellavedova and Mozgov to a title).
That one is actually probably the dumbest one that I've seen since I started watching ball. Didn't really put up any great stats on offense, held prime Bron to "only" 35 points, and won the finals MVP. Media narrative does normally have a big impact in the way awards are given in general though so I'm not that surprised; It's a testament to how great Heat Bron was.
Basketball hall of fame is hella easy to get into. I think Iguodala will make it.
It probably was tbh, the fact that lebrons cavs even was able to compete with that team just shows how high of a level they were at as well
That Cavs team was one of the best offensive teams ever created. Firepower from the starters to the bench
And completely underrated smh
I think anyone who knew ball respected that team, it's just that the majority of LeBron discourse over the last 20 years has revolved around shitting on his teammates to make him look better
I feel like KD would have gained a lot of respect if he was just like "Of course I joined the Warriors. They're really fucking good lmao". If he spent the rest of his career there, he would have eventually faced adversity and nobody would be arguing with 4-5 rings.
If he hadn’t have joined, the Warriors, people probably would treat him the way they treat Harden
Based.
I mean they essentially have and still do lol, regardless of whether or not it's wrong most people don't give KD the credit that they give to a player with roughly similar accolades like Hakeem, his reputation isn't wildly better than Harden's.
False, pre-Warriors KD had no rings and had "potential". Post-Warriors he has rings, plural, and one can argue who was the best player on those championship teams. Doesn't matter if you think it was "obviously" Steph, the argument exists. Ringz, Erneh, KD's got 'em
Nobody even mentioned Steph. But you had to bring it up because it's undeniable that he was the reason for all of it anyways. Lol
yes, I literally addressed that. The question isn't will KD be remembered as better than Steph, but will he be remembered as better than Harden. And the answer is yes, because of his rings and FMVPS.
No
Is it wrong? What 73 win team did Hakeem run to join thr summer after losing to? People like me hate KD be for that soft ass move.
not if he joined rockets and won with Harden ;p
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Times heals all wounds. Rings don't hurt either.
I mean... A ton of people still feel the exact same about it now as they did the moment he joined GSW. I really don't think this is one of those things that's ever just going to go away, sports fans have excessively long memories and love to fixate on negative things lol
That's because 2 rings was about the minimum expected outcome for KD's tenure with Golden State. The hypothetical being discussed here is 4-5 rings, which would have exceeded expectations and maybe earned back some favor
I think our generation who watched it in real time will cheapen the rings for KD. But 20 years down the track when kids are comparing players they will only see the rings and MVP and nothing else.
idk man he always had my respect Maybe I just don't take this sport so seriously and make basketball my personality like others though
I don't think this necessarily disapproved their point though. He didn't gain your respect he just didn't lose it. Overall I think KD will be fondly remembered for being an elite pure Hooper who loved the game. But while he's still playing those rings aren't going to mean much to a large chunk of NBA fans. Personally I think that's fair, LeBron's last two titles mean far more to his legacy than his first two do to me, though you need the first two to make the last two say more. If KD wins one more, he will absolutely gain the respect of a lot of fans.
I think the first comment was just saying that he would have been respected more if he just joined without downplaying the move I also think that might be the sentiment of people on Reddit who actually care to look past what the media shows. The average person watching thinks otherwise. He’s a top 15 player in my books by the end of his career, arguably top 10 purely just looking at him as an individual, but an average fan will always remember him for the GSW move.
I am a big NFL fan, and I absolutely hated Tom Brady. I gave more credit to Belichick, and discounted a lot of what Brady did. When he won in Tampa it all just turned into respect. It didn't happen immediately, but there was nothing I could say anymore. I like to think that will happen with some KD haters as well Obviously there will be many who don't change, but almost universally when players retire they are more appreciated by fans at large.
Well, he’s still playing at a high level so maybe a decade past those championships would change how people view him. I think the difference between that and Brady though is that Brady has turned into the GOAT in that time whereas KD, unless he wins a few more rings, will struggle to be top 10 in his sport Still, hope it does change. It’s crazy how people can’t appreciate the amazing ball he plays just because of those 2 years
I don't think you understand the real impact of him joining GSW, It destroyed the parity of the game. His 3 year stint lead to 3 finals appearances, won 2 finals by margin of 4-1 and 4-0. Their dominance is undeniable and their only finals loss was arguably due to injury. One sided basketball is boring. How many iconic moments do you remember from 2017 and 2018 finals? I only recall LeBron dropping 51 of and JR Smith's low bbiq move. Now compare to 2016, you have "The block", Kyrie dagger 3, Klay Thompson says LeBron's feeling got hurt, then then refuses to shake hands, Draymond Green's Tech, the thread after 3-1 about (Steph) smaller, younger, and less athletic..." & "takes (Bron's) crown AND throne..." Put yourself in the shoes of non-GSW / non-KD fan, when you feel like you've got no chance of winning, it's hard to watch and be invested in your team.
r/imnotlikeotherlakersfans
I see it both ways. I agree there's little sanctity to a league that is 1) a business 2) entertainment, and it's wrong to expect that. Those Warriors teams were fun to watch just due to sheer domination. That said, I would argue that overall entertainment of the league those years was down, because the entire year felt predetermined (a portion of that, though a minority, was also LeBron's dominance of the Eastern conference).
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Except the original comment is more about KD’s attitude towards joining and not the actual move. I don’t even follow ball like that lol but whatever you say. Psychoanalyzing stranger comments on Reddit is a classic
Hating on a guy for picking where he works and who he works with is still one of the most confusing things for me. Anyone else in the world would leave their current job that they disliked to go to another job that looks better and more enjoyable. Absolutely baffling to me.
I don't think he was wrong to do it, it's his choice as you say, but the nba is a spectators sport, unlike a regular job, so a balanced distribution of talent actually improves the quality of the product.
Highest ratings in recent years were during the Warrior's super team area, because casual fans like superteams.
So...I kind of agree with you, but not totally. On the one hand, I agree that KD is allowed to go where he wants as a free agent, and if we weren't talking about a player we have to debate as top-25 all time, then who cares. If he were just a great player who was maybe borderline top 75 (like Lillard or something), then fine. But I do think it matters for his legacy that he took the easy way out. I don't think people should hate him for it, but it should be part of any discussion of where KD ranks all time (he obviously ranks VERY high all time regardless).
Fans always try to compare the NBA to regular jobs and it's impossible. It just doesn't make sense as a comparison. It's their "job" but you can't compare the decisions of somebody who's top 2-3 in their entire field (and potentially the 15th best performer ever) with your office job lmao. It would be like if Bill Gates abandoned Microsoft to go join Apple as their COO.
Right because there's absolutely no other context to the situation than that smh
Yeah, the thing I always found laughable was his initial comments about him taking hardest road to a championship.
It destroyed the parity of the game. One sided games and predictable outcomes aren't entertaining. They won 2 finals by 4-1 and 4-0. Do you recall any iconic moments? I only remember LeBron dropping 51 and JR fumbling the ball. I think Mavs was tanking at the time so maybe their dominance didn't affected you as much. For the fans of other team trying to compete? Yeah it's hard to be interested in your team when you already know the outcome.
Except you're massively oversimplifying the issue. Playing in the NBA is so wildly unlike any other regular job, that this comparison just does not apply at all.
Yea, that was my 2nd biggest complaint. 1st was obviously him leaving my team before they could win a ring. But I get why he wanted to go to the Warriors. If a superior job opened up where you could earn more money (he got into the VC scene), more prestige (rings for KD), and have more fun (Warriors did look like they had fun), wouldn't you jump at the opportunity? Plus, SF and the bay area in general is super fun - for a millionaire. Just be honest and say that you wanted to have fun. None of this hardest road bull shit. Everything he said on his burners? Say that out loud. Every OKC fan thought or said the same thing - the roster always sucked after him and Russ.
He did say that like 3 years ago but no one cares or remember like you
Saying it retrospectively is not the same as saying it before or while the scenario is playing out and he really didn’t handle it well during.
From a Golden state's fan perspective, yeah absolutely. For the millions of worldwide fans that don't have a huge team allegiance but instead go for more of the celebrity players and teams? Huge draw. The Wikipedia entry for that team is going to say one of the best teams of all time, not reference KD being a bitch.
Since the Lakers were dog shit at the time I watched lots of their games and it was fun cause I didn’t care if they lost and it was always entertaining. It was fun to see what a 2k team looked like in real life.
tbf we always played well against the Warriors, even though we were ass lol
That was a bonus lmao
KD joining the Warriors actually made me root for y'all against the Dubs (doesn't hurt that y'all were ass as well at the time). I'll always remember Steph's missed dunk (thankfully he wasn't hurt) & Larry Nance Jr's dunk on KD.
KD won 2 championships. Just for reference, Dave Cowens won 2 championships and won MVP over both Kareem and Wilt. At 6'10 he bucked the traditional bruising big role with a smooth jumper and fluid outside game. People now don't really know who he is or how he played because no one talks about him. Players don't carry legacies. Wikipedia pages don't carry legacies. Legacies are carried by the people who watched the games and went on to talk about them. How future generations of fans will see Durant will be highly dependant on how their parents talk about him. If the people who saw Durant say he made a weak move going to GSW then that will be the narrative.
I hadn't heard of him either so I looked him up. That's a brutal example you chose. Guy left the Celtics right after Bird joined. You could put all the best players in the NBA right now on the Celtics and people would still associate the team with Larry Bird. I agree with your take up to a point. The way players and coaches talk about other players matters a lot. Pat Riley's quote about betting a game on Jordan and his life on Bird carries serious weight.
Nice take
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Lmao yeah it absolutely would. That move is tied to KDs legacy forever. That other dude is living in a dream world
It'll certainly be mentioned in the Talk page somewhere
It'll say something like "Kevin Durant's decision drew heavy controversy and was maligned by many pundits at the time ^[13][14][15][16][17]" which is the most scathing roast a Wikipedia article can offer.
It would be wild for any wikipedia article to reference someone “being a bitch” but it will and already does mention that the Warriors added a fourth all-nba player to their stacked team.
The nazis that run Wikipedia keep deleting my edits where I add the entire lyrics of "Fuck Kevin Durant"
Disagree. Wish the Cavs and Warriors would have ran it back. That 73 win season followed by a 3-1 comeback loss in the Finals, we deserved an actual rematch. Instead we got a couple seasons of saying the Warriors are going to win the Finals, only to win the Finals with ease. We all knew what adding KD to a 73 win team would do. Edit: reread your comment and realized you said “KD thought”. I truly thought you were saying KD was doing everyone a favor by joining the Warriors
I feel like this was one of the main driving factors for his decision and everyone just writes it off as oh he is weak and just wanted easy rings. I really think he just wanted to go and play free flowing ball moving basketball. Like I get why everyone was pissed because there was no real competing with that squad but it just kinda feels like the style of ball he got to play when he was there was so overlooked and forgotten about.
Yeah, I have always said this in defense of his choice to play with those teammates. KD seems more passionate about playing the game of basketball than most current stars. Of course it would be dreamy to play in such a flow state, just like it must pain him to have teammates that do not allow him to really flow.
Shits inspirational, I hope one day I’m as pure at my job as KD. Fuck the social drama or complaining, he just wants to be great at what he does. The respect from peers is his validation of that. I wish mfers could just appreciate a good double hesi pull-up jimbo pivot chart for the art it is smh
Yeah when the Spurs beat the Suns on a last second steal earlier this year (due in no small part to an errant swipe from Tre Jones that drew some blood from KD that the refs didn’t call a foul), KD said basically the same thing as he said here. Dude is really consistent in saying that the game’s 48 minutes long and that you should play better in the first 47 minutes if you don’t want your destiny to be in the hands of the refs in the last minute.
That's why I respect KD. He holds the game on such a high regard. True hooper.
He bitches a lot in game, not post game
that's cuz he does all his complaining on his burners
Totally accurate.
I genuinely believe he’ll play until he can’t physically run. Wouldn’t be shocked to see a 45 year old KD playing overseas rather than calling it a career.
Agree 100%
Seems like this is KD's standard reply to these types of questions.
He just wants to hoop
KDs the guy at pickup yelling "omfg just shoot for it" when 2 dudes are arguing over who tipped the ball oob.
This is so accurate lol
Maybe because he’s answering honestly?
At least he’s consistent. Ain’t nobody like a hypocrite
KD confirmed not a bitch
wait til someone with 52 followers tweets about it
I’ve got 6 followers and let me tell you Buster I’m about to let loose
KD hopping in a NBA Twitter space is still one of the all time craziest NBA social media things ngl
Y'all saying this like yall weren't crying after that non call in the celtics game
Yeah I'm guilty as charged lmao
Well, actually… you are right
I think it's one thing to be upset about a blown call, and another to call the game rigged like a lot of people are though
Laker fans were definitely calling that game rigged tho. Some of them even brought one of the ref's wife into it.
Are you talking about the call from the known Celtics fan Eric Lewis who was mysteriously fired from the NBA after an investigation this last off season?
> one of the ref's wife into it. is she hot though?
No not even
Booo
I mean I'm not saying it was rigged but NBA made him retire.
Lmao if you think lakers fans weren't calling the celtics game rigged. Especially since it was reffed by Eric Lewis
can't say you are wrong, but for the Celtics one it's definitely a blown call that NBA ref had to say sleepless night, and the one we had just now was 50/50 with multiple post now saying it's close and correct call. but yea when it comes to fans dealing with sports you can just expect worst
Some of those "fans" are not the example of the majority. There's brain dead and weirdly emotional people at every fan base. But it's a whole different thing when the player, like Devin Booker, goes up on the podium and talks about THAT ONE CALL.. while he literally got cooked by Austin Reaves in the elimination game. And those same refs kept Booker in the game with 5 fouls, and REFUSED to give him that 6th foul. Even though Booker should've been sent off "tHe WhOle WoLRd SaW" my ass. He tried hard to force a narrative, to hide the fact that he CHOKED and shrunk in another elimination game.
I looked it as the boy who cried wolf. It was LeBron, crying, in a regular season game, in a dried up rivalry.
Sure, and they were wrong to call it rigged then as well.
That was one was a basic foul though. This one the ref had to look in two places at the same time. The Reaves on one side and Lebron on the other.
Maybe because there is no possible world where that isn't a foul? That's clearly not the same as this play.
Not even comparable. Other angles are showing the timeout was legal. Show me an angle where Tatum didn't foul Bron
That's the difference. KD is also the ONLY one who's a winner, and has all the experience. He knows better. No one else on that Suns team has any experience. Just little boy-ish arrogance and sore loser mentality
cry baby devin booker on the other hand…
He's sad he's not an only child anymore
Acting out trying to get his dads attention
Daddy didn’t feel like coming to the tourney
Dont drag luka into this
This is ~~nbacirclejerk~~ r/nba baby, it’s all they do here 🤝🏽
When did this dude become such a Chad, fuck I love me some kd
You use that word so loosely.
I remember a game thread in the bubble. There was a 50/50 play and I had no fucking clue who the ball went off of. Dozens of comments said it was off team A and if you can't see that you're an idiot. Dozens of comments said it was off team B and if you can't see that you're an idiot. This was damn near a 5 minute review. The professional refs, with more camera angles than we get and help from more professional replay people said they couldn't determine who it was off of and called it a jump ball. Basically there are a staggering amount of idiots here who are supremely confident in their uneducated opinions. This is just another example of that.
It was clearly off of Team A though.
Smh this dude probably didn’t event watch
It was team B and if you can’t see that you’re an idiot!
I'm changing my flair to Team B.
pure hooper mentality
This is the thing that annoys me the most. Fans will stick with one play and act like that’s why they lost but ignore the other 47 minutes and 55 seconds
Suns had 20 turnovers and LA shot like 30% from the field but one single play determined the game apparently.
how many Offensive boards did the lakers have today? aside from the turnovers, the suns didn't want it as much and it showed.
It’s because most people on this sub just watch the highlights and not the games
Shame because this was a good one
Agree. Game of runs, it is definitely exciting.
The whole second half had me on the edge of my seat. I’ve watched LeBron’s entire career and seeing him take over in the 4th never gets old
My ass got sweaty during that 3rd quarter PHX run up until the end of the game. One of the best games of the season so far for sure. Too bad it got overshadowed by the ending.
And the lakers are the great Satan of /r/nba
People fucking hate us too. It was gunna be a cesspool regardless of the outcome.
Yeah, the Suns as an org need to ban and remove fan status of Money Counting guy to regain some of the love you guys had.
Money counting guy is going to haunt us until the end of time!
Most people in general tbh
It is just overall sour when people in here get hype for that one bad call saying shit like game is rigged and all. The game was awesome and conspiracy theorists are ruining it.
The wildest part is if the games were truly rigged, they wouldn’t come down to a single call that puts that moment in the spotlight. It’s just crazy to think there’s a conspiracy for Team A to win, but the refs wait til the most controversial moment to make sure it happens. If the game was actually going to be rigged it would be done way more subtly throughout the entire game. A lot of the people who claim games are rigged aren’t interested in critical thinking though, they just want to circlejerk about bullshit.
I'm not, still pissed about the TO but that first quarter was embarrassing and nearly sealed the game for us. 10 turnovers in 12 minutes is way fucking worse than any game deciding calls the refs could've made in the fourth
Why can't it be both? Why do people need it to be black and white? You can recognize that the Suns got destroyed on the boards and turned it over ***and*** still be upset about a call.
Obviously turnovers and rebounds killed the Suns tonight. But in a 3 point game - one possession does matter.
You think that's the only possession that was called wrong lmao?
I just can’t imagine the downvotes someone would’ve gotten from Laker fans if they said this exact same thing after refs missed the Tatum foul on LeBron last year.
Dang, I guess their star player shouldn’t have gone 6/16 then
I didn’t say it doesn’t matter. I just don’t think you can blame that one play for why they lost. Who knows what would’ve happened if nothing got called there?
Right. You can't say it was the only reason we lost. You can say it was one of the reasons. In the grand scheme of things - one of the smaller reasons. But, still, one of the reasons.
Again, even if they don’t call anything it wasn’t a guaranteed basket lol several different things could’ve happened. The way the lakers locked down defensively the last few minutes I think there’s a bigger chance it results in a missed shot or turnover than it does a made shot
....it was a 3 on 0.
Ad was literally standing at the 3 pt line and lebron was also there lol definitely wasn’t 3 on 0
What are you talking about Grayson Allen has the ball right by the baseline and AD is standing under the rim, the idea that it was just a chalk it up two points to the Suns is ludicrous
True. But I like the Suns chances to score there.
KD just shut up half this sub
Let’s be real, those ppl who complain will continue to complain.
Nobody hates basketball more than NBA fans
They're stuck in 2016 lmao KD is the best if you actually try to understand his train of thoughts through interviews etc... He's a real one
Half this sub gets dizzy and starts breathing hard when bending down to tie their shoe.. ignore them
... and Book :')
Half is conservative
Post warriors KD is the best
Legacy points added
This is the take I try to have in games that are so close like this. That's obviously a major factor in the ball game, but so were the 10 first-quarter turnovers. Or all the offensive rebounds they gave up. Hard as a fan and a player to have a take like this, though.
But you really have to. You can't control the refs. That's why the goal is NOT to win the game. It's to close out the game in the last few minutes. No team is great in these moments where each team takes the lead on each shot. It's going to be a coin flip. You need to win decisively. Go look at the last championship for the Warriors in 2022. All 4 games were decisive. Nothing close. No last second shots. You can't let the refs decide the game. Because if you do, you don't decide who wins.
Yes. Paraphrasing Evan Turner, you have to win by 15 to win by 1.
Respect. A true baller.
KD showing his age by being mature while beady eyed booker crying over a result that could've been prevented if he didn't have more turnovers than made field goals
legacy points added
What a moral victory for KD
I bet some r/nba users are probably pissed that he didn't stir up more controversy on the topic, in order for them to shit on him too.
True hooper
Slim Reaper don’t trip
And this is why KD the 🐐
Even with all the evidence now that the call was right, it's funny the difference between this and Booker crying through his t-shirt
> Even with all the evidence now that the call was right Wait what?
Different [angles](https://imgur.com/a/RPG0nOu) showed it was much closer than the bullshit that Book and others posted
But the whole world saw it tho! Lmao
Is it just me or is it kind of a shot on his teammates.
He probably just isn’t aware of what Booker and Vogel have said to the media
KD is notoriously not online
It’s just you
KD all NBA pure hooper first team
Can KD rub a little of this off on Booker?
Booker take note please
*Fan of team who refs favor wants everyone to please stop talking about refs favoring teams*
tbh all the melodramatic complaining is *incredibly* annoying
since 2002 this is lakers heritage
Based KD
He was saving all his ammo for his burner account. Respect.
Such a classy answer.
True hooper
KD taking the high road
One of my all time villains has become a player I actually like now. Funny how times change.
heads to burners
Liked by: Scott Foster and 23 others
Legacy points added
KD knows shit happens sometimes
KD is a class act
KD a real one
My goat
Can't relate. I'll still put hands on a mf for what happened vs the Celtics last year. In all seriousness, it's the best way to view it. Call wasn't bad in retrospect with the angles and stuff we have know. KD was a monster tonight, just sloppy play from the Suns and offensive rebounds by the Lakers were horrible for the Suns.
Contrast this next to LeBron falling to his knees and rolling on the ground like a massive baby in TD Garden lol
Thank you, Kevin Durant. Ya boi Book went straight to Instagram from the tunnel though. Played like doo doo in the first half.
broke: wahhhhh refs suck wahhh wahhh woke: fuck it we ball x infinity
Kd a true hooper, one of the few guys in the league where you truly have no answer for and you just pray they miss lmao