Kevin Durant drew the world’s wrath when he joined the Warriors in 2016.
Fans, analysts, and former and current players blasted him for choosing a team that won 73 games in the previous campaign.
They also highlighted that Durant and OKC were up 3-1 against them in the Western Conference Finals.
The forward still gets flak for that move, but Gilbert Arenas feels the criticism was unwarranted.
On the Gil’s Arena podcast, he claimed that Durant and the Warriors needed each other after their heartbreaking losses in the 2016 playoffs.
The retired star claimed Draymond Green and the franchise recruited the forward after blowing a 3-1 lead in the NBA Finals against LeBron James and the Cavaliers.
He lamented that people often overlook how the team needed a shot in the arm to reinvigorate their title hopes after their embarrassing defeat. He claimed it was unfair to pin the decision on Durant alone. Arenas passionately argued,
“No one talks about Golden State losing to LeBron then adding Kevin Durant. No one looks at it that way. You lost to LeBron James 3-1, and then you ask for Kevin, can you come help us? Yes, Draymond, they called Kevin Durant.”
Co-host Rashad McCants disagreed with Arenas and posited that Durant was already looking to leave in the offseason. Thus, he found the easiest route to a championship by joining a stacked roster. This sentiment has been prevalent since he made the move.
Durant was universally berated for teaming up with Stephen Curry and the stacked Warriors roster after taking them to seven games in the Western Conference Finals. His decision to join the Warriors was dubbed the weakest move by a superstar in NBA history. However, Durant was unbothered by the noise.
He responded by becoming the most efficient offensive option for his new team. He proved to be the difference in the NBA Finals against James and the Cavaliers and won the Finals MVP award in back-to-back years.
But his playoff heroics did little to repair his reputation. Fans still despise him for turning his back on OKC, who had almost knocked out the Warriors before they even made it to the Finals in 2016. The forward is widely recognized as one of the best players in NBA history.
However, the crowning moment of his career is also the biggest stain on his legacy
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Source: USA Today
