On July 4, Kevin Durant officially ended the speculations surrounding his free agent status by announcing that he has signed with the Golden State Warriors. Although this revelation was happily accepted by some, particularly Warriors fans, others, however, took to their social media accounts to bash the 27-year-old athlete.
During the weeks leading up to the opening of the free agency market, various teams have been linked to Durant's future position in the NBA. Although Golden State is probably the team that resonated the most, Durant had always been expected to re-sign with the Oklahoma City Thunder. After all, OKC is his hometown and he has been with the team since 2008.
But, through an article he wrote for The Players Tribune, Durant explained how he made his decision to join Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and the rest of the Warriors community.
Most OKC fans, however, are not happy with his decision. Some posted pictures of them burning Durant's Thunder jersey while others said that by joining Golden State, Durant is taking the easy path in winning a championship ring.
Apparently, they want him to work hard for the title with the team he grew up with up. However, Durant signing with the Warriors doesn't necessarily mean that he will be taking a step back from his duties as a high profile player. Despite being with a different team, Durant is still the same person and the same player.
Even though he's surrounded by other talented players, fans can still expect to see Durant exert the same amount of effort like he did when he was still in OKC.
But more importantly, Durant made a very personal decision. Sure, he got the chance to chat with Warriors executive board member Jerry West before deciding to join the team, but that doesn't mean he was forced to join Golden State.
West didn't even explicitly asked him to sign with the Warriors, instead, he only made him realize how being in Golden State can enhance his career. And, to be frank, having a successful career in the NBA is really what it's all about.
Durant is not getting any younger and as a veteran player, he has every right to choose which team can help him reach the championship title. Sure, OKC fans also have the right to feel hurt about Durant leaving, but calling the athlete lazy is really unnecessary.
As Durant noted, saying goodbye to the Thunder shows his "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," he wrote. "With this in mind, I have decided that I am going to join the Golden State Warriors."
