Kevin Durant and the Warriors: How did we get here?
By Eric He
And then the unthinkable will happen
In July of 2016, all six of these people I just mentioned — Curry, Thompson, Green, Iguodala, Kerr and Myers — will be part of the contingent to meet with Kevin Durant in the Hamptons and persuade him with sign with the Warriors.
It’s going to feel strange. The Warriors, just weeks ago, lost to the Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Finals in heartbreaking fashion, but after they came back from a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference Finals to rally over Durant’s Thunder.
But so much has changed, so many things are different now. The Warriors don’t have to resort to overpaying Corey Maggette and signing Ronny Turiaf to a ridiculous offer sheet to sign free agents anymore. Now, even after losing, they have free agents flocking to them.
Next: Building a super team to beat the Warriors
Except this one happens to be one of the top three players in the world. And on Independence Day in 2016, he will announce in the Players’ Tribune (a site created by fearless journalist Derek Jeter. Things are weird these days) that he will sign with the Warriors, a team that “offers the greatest potential for [his] contribution and personal growth.”
This is Kevin Durant, talking about signing with the Warriors because they offer him the best chance to win a championship. The same Warriors that, when you fell asleep four years ago, saw their fans viciously boo their owner and whose roster members included Mikki Moore, Mickell Gladness, Earl Barron, Keith Benson, and yes, the immortal Kwame Brown.
Awake yet? Good. Because this lanky dude wearing No. 5 on Team USA will be sporting a Warriors’ jersey come October.
Yep. Kevin Durant is a member of the Golden State Warriors. This isn’t Kwame Brown‘s world anymore.