NBA star Kevin Durant is heading to the Golden State Warriors!
The 27-year-old small forward brought months of speculation, rumors, and unanswered questions about his future in the NBA to an end with an official statement Monday.
A statement, titled “ My Next Chapter ,” was published by the Players Tribune , which allowed Kevin Durant to make his big announcement and explain his monumental decision in his own words. As seen on the page, Durant was listed as a “Deputy Publisher” for the article.
Kevin Durant agrees to sign with the @warriors (Players Tribune: https://t.co/WNox36eLLC ). pic.twitter.com/XjsF4y0nKn
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) July 4, 2016
Kevin Durant opened the article by expressing that it “has been by far the most challenging few weeks” in his professional career. He further explained that he was well aware that he was approaching a crossroads in his career and an “evolution as a player and as a man,” but that the crossroads came along with “exceptionally difficult choices.” Kevin admitted that he did not initially understand the emotional roller coaster that he would experience while contemplating his next move.
However, the decision is finally crystal clear! Durant will leave the Oklahoma City Thunder to pursue a “new chapter” playing an instrumental role within the Golden State Warriors roster.
Kevin Durant Signs With Warriors https://t.co/REo9jpbO0Z pic.twitter.com/FYa4CsaH3n
— BlackSportsOnline (@BSO) July 4, 2016
BREAKING: Kevin Durant is joining the Golden State Warriors. pic.twitter.com/kykPUBcX0N
— theScore (@theScore) July 4, 2016
Why did he make the decision? Durant apparently did not want to leave any room for unanswered questions, which is likely why he did not hesitate to explain the reasons behind his decision within the body of his statement.
“The primary mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the potential for my growth as a player — as that has always steered me in the right direction. But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth. With this in mind, I have decided that I am going to join the Golden State Warriors.”
In an apparent effort to show his respect and appreciation for Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant used the rest of his statement to focus on his gratitude for the city and for the team. The Washington, D.C., native credited Oklahoma City for raising him and teaching him about family “as well as what it means to be a man.”
“There are no words to express what the organization and the community mean to me, and what they will represent in my life and in my heart forever. The memories and friendships are something that go far beyond the game. Those invaluable relationships are what made this deliberation so challenging. 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.”
Kevin Durant stated that he will miss Oklahoma City and the “remarkable team” that he played a role in building over the years. He also admitted that he will cherish the relationships he made with his friends and teammates for the past nine years as well as the community and fans.
There seems to be a mixture of reactions and responses on social media. That was clearly seen from the substantial number of tweets posted shortly after Kevin’s “Next Chapter” statement was published.
Now that the @warriors have Kevin Durant, it’s totally okay to play as an all-star team when playing them in NBA2K17 https://t.co/URlHinlEWW
— IGN (@IGN) July 4, 2016
KD just set the basketball world on???????????? #Warriors #KevinDurant
— Calais Campbell (@Campbell93) July 4, 2016
Kevin Durant to the Warriors?????opinions everyone?
— Andre Drummond (@AndreDrummondd) July 4, 2016
Not all of the people on Twitter were very excited or happy about Kevin Durant heading to the Warriors.
Stephen A Smith ain’t too happy about Kevin Durant going to the Warriors
— NBA SKITS (@NBA_Skits) July 4, 2016
Kevin Durant is the biggest sellout of all time. He’s basically admitting he can’t win.
— LeBron’s Witnesses (@kinglbj_23) July 4, 2016
That’s why I never wore ya sneakers I knew you was a cornball @KDTrey5
— Young L!to (@YoungLitoBSB) July 4, 2016
Kevin Durant first joined the NBA after the Seattle Supersonics selected him with the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft . With his impressive first year as a professional basketball star, it was not very surprising when Durant finished the season with the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
Durant’s list of accolades and accomplishments has grown season after season over the past nine years, including the NBA MVP award in 2014, his seven-time track record as an NBA All-Star, and the five times that he was added to the All-NBA First Team. With Kevin Durant deciding to join the Golden State Warriors alongside Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, perhaps he will now be able to add an NBA championship to that list.
[Photo by J Pat Carter/Getty Images]
