Five years on and two-time Finals MVP continues to get roasted for leaving Warriors
Nearly five years on from his departure from the Golden State Warriors and it appears Kevin Durant could be headed towards another early playoff exit.
The two-time Finals MVP was relatively subdued in the Phoenix Suns' Game 2 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday, with a second-half meltdown leading to a wave of criticism for Durant and company in the wake of back-to-back losses.
Kevin Durant's decision to leave the Golden State Warriors continues to come under the microscope from fans and NBA analysts
With their offense strangled and having lost both games in Minnesota by double-digits, there's now serious concern on Phoenix's ability to salvage their season. Should the Suns suffer elimination at the hands of the Timberwolves, it would be Durant's second first-round elimination since leaving Golden State.
The 35-year-old has failed to make it back the Conference Finals since 2019, having spent time at both Brooklyn and now Phoenix. Durant's decision to leave the Warriors has been met with criticism over the past few years, particularly given the 'super-team' narrative that he's had at both franchises since. On the brink of another elimination after the Game 2 defeat, Durant's legacy was again a topic of conversation among fans on social media.
Kevin Durant would have zero rings if he didn’t join a 73-win Warriors team. That gets overlooked too often. Or maybe it doesn’t and I just want to say it again. https://t.co/J5pOFNUkWm
— Connor Hughes (@Connor_J_Hughes) April 24, 2024
Man, the Suns look cooked. Straight up regressing since Durant got there. The Warriors-Durant combo was lightning in a bottle it seems.#NBAPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/ngJUc2aqbU
— Faded (@BlackenedFade) April 24, 2024
But it's not just NBA fans who've roasted Durant's decision to leave the Bay, with NBA analyst Colin Cowherd labelling the 14-time All-Star irrelevant while again reiterating the rashness of his decisions after the Game 1 loss.
"Can you imagine Patrick Mahomes saying ‘I’M DONE WITH ANDY REID AND TRAVIS KELCE! I WANNA GO PLAY FOR THE JETS BECAUSE I LIKE THIS SLOT RECEIVER!' That’s essentially what KD did leaving a dynasty."
- Colin Cowherd
Durant had 18 points on just 6-of-15 shooting in Game 2, having been outplayed by Timberwolves' forward Jaden McDaniels who had a game-high 25 points on 10-of-17 shooting. While the Suns' season may end in major disappointment, they've still advanced further than the Warriors who were eliminated in the Play-In Tournament last week.
Phoenix bowing out in the first-round would almost assuredly lead to more speculation on Durant's future, with an Eastern Conference executive stating in February that the 16-year veteran would "look around" if a result like this panned out.
manual