Kevin Durant mocks Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic pretty hard in defense of free agent decision


Kevin Durant keeps getting asked about his decision to sign with the Warriors and he keeps answering. Each time he's asked there's a new wrinkle. The latest have been the lack of competition in the conference finals and his move creating two super teams and then no one else. Kevin Durant was obviously allowed to sign with any team he liked. That's what the "free" in free agency grants you. But joining a super team brings extra pressure and attention (See LeBron in Miami) and Durant is starting to crack under that media pressure.

Kevin Durant says it doesn't make sense to complain that his move to join the Golden State Warriors has negatively affected the NBA and ruined parity in the league.

"Like I'm the reason why [expletive] Orlando couldn't make the playoffs for five, six years in a row?" Durant told USA Today Sports in an article published Friday. "Am I the reason that Brooklyn gave all their picks to Boston? Like, am I the reason that they're not that good? [Laughs.]

"I can't play for every team, so the truth of the matter is I left one team. It's one more team that you probably would've thought would've been a contender. One more team. I couldn't have made the [entire] East better. I couldn't have made everybody [else] in the West better."

Of course as far as Warriors fans care, saying the wrong thing to the media means nothing as long as you're performing on the court. Durant certainly is handling that aspect. Now how the Nets and Magic got throw into this is the funny part. Like imagine if he said that about the Celtics when we were down. He basically called the Magic (excuse me "fucking Magic") a dumpster fire of an organization and the Nets front office (or previous front office) grossly incompetent. He's not lying about the latter, but generally a player doesn't mock the teams that are down. Poor etiquette there.

Regarding competition and parity, again Durant had the right to sign with the Warriors, but he's incorrect in saying that if he signed elsewhere it might not have dramatically changed the completion in the playoffs. For one the Warriors would have been as dominant, which would have led to more competitive series out West. Also, let's say he signed with a team like Boston. Then all of a sudden the Eastern Conference Finals would have much more competitive. So yes in a way his signing with Warriors is to blame for for the lack of parity and competition in the NBA.

Yes of course you're always going to have bad teams like the Magic and Nets, but usually you at least have some completion for the top spots in each conference (or at least one). This your you didn't. You have the Cavs and Warriors. They were scheduled to meet in the Finals the day Durant signed with Golden State. And after going a combined 24-1 in the playoffs they will meet starting next week. And they will also be the favorites to meet in the 2018 NBA Finals.