Kevin Durant – The Man Who Sucked the Joy Out of the NBA

By Justin Paura

Assuming you read the title, I figure you are going to continue reading with one of two things in mind: either you agree with me or think of me as some type of hater. I want to assure you early on that I used to admire Kevin Durant. Coming out of the University of Texas in the 2007 Draft, it was clear that Durant was destined for greatness. And no matter what opinions anyone (including myself) may have, he is a former MVP, a two-time champion and a two-time Finals MVP. Whatever I or anybody else writes or says about him does not change that nor does it blemish his resume for Springfield.

With that being said, Durant did in fact ruin the NBA.

The 2016 NBA Playoffs was the best overall postseason for the league in the past half-decade. Sure, LeBron James bullied the Eastern Conference as he did the previous five years, but the Western Conference had some battles. A Durant and Russell Westbrook-led Oklahoma City Thunder squad surprised the two-seed San Antonio Spurs, emerging as the foe to the best regular season team of all time: the 73-9, defending champion Golden State Warriors.

The Western Conference Finals was expected to go Golden State’s way, but it was all OKC through the first four games. Durant averaged over 28 points per game as the Thunder took a commanding 3-1 series lead.

The stage was set for a second LeBron-Durant Finals, until everything fell apart in the blink of an eye. Despite averaging 32 a game through games 5, 6 and 7, Durant crumbled to the Warriors and Golden State would face Cleveland in the Finals once again.

It was easy to see that Durant was crushed by the loss to Golden State. I mean, why wouldn’t he be? He was already known as one of the greatest scorers the game has ever seen, leading the league in scoring in four separate seasons as well as taking home MVP honors in 2014. But the only accolade hanging over the seven-footer’s head was the biggest one there is: the Larry O’Brien Trophy.

Durant was set for free agency for the first time in his career. In eight seasons with the Thunder (well, technically two with the Supersonics and six with the Thunder), Durant has gotten oh so close. Not only did they have the best regular season team ever on the ropes just last season, but he also made an NBA Finals with OKC in 2012.

However, there was a feeling in his heart that drew him away from the team. He felt the organization was crediting most of the team’s success to his co-star Westbrook and that it was in his best interest to take on a new challenge.

For that, I don’t blame him. Do I disagree with the fact he left a team that was one game away from making the NBA Finals after blowing a 3-1 lead? Yes. But I can respect wanting to feel more needed and the desire to explore another organization.

What I do blame him for is joining the team he blew that 3-1 to. The Warriors won 73 games WITHOUT HIM the season before and the Thunder could have stopped them from reaching the Finals. But no. Instead, the Warriors did make the Finals and blew a 3-1 lead of their own to LeBron and the Cavs.

After the summer of 2016, the real joy of the NBA season started to diminish. The Warriors obviously made it to the Finals the next two seasons and no matter what any team tried to do, they couldn’t be beat. The clear-cut Finals favorites swept their way to the 2017 Finals and beat up the Cavs in five games to win their second title in three years. And in 2018, they were tested by a team that was built off the basis of beating them. Daryl Morey got Chris Paul to his Houston Rockets to dethrone the Warriors, but they were just not equipped enough to stop the NBA’s newest dynasty.

You can say that the 2018 playoffs were exciting (though you cannot say the same about 2017), but the bottom line is the same two teams everyone expected to reach the Finals did. There is no more parity in the league. The things people got the most hyped up about all have to do with young talent. The Celtics and the Sixers are young, fun-to-watch teams. Meanwhile, Donovan Mitchell proved that he belongs in the same tier as the other NBA stars. But in a professional sports league with fans across the globe, the most exciting part of the season should be the outcome and the drama surrounding it. But, unfortunately, the outcome is now something that probably won’t change for the next few years.

Durant is going into free agency once again. There is not any doubt that he’ll return to Golden State, but dammit wouldn’t it be so much more fun if he left? To see one of the greatest scorers of all time lead a team that is truly his own would be spectacular, while it also creates some competition for the four-time Eastern and Western Conference Champions. Durant is making a G.O.A.T case of his own, but it’s happening in an era of no guessing, no parity and no fun. And that can all be traced back to his decision to join the Warriors and create a superteam like never before.