How Kevin Durant, Not LeBron James, Ruined the Idea of Competition

“Are you kidding me? Really, the Warriors? Such a weak move!” These are some of the responses and reactions that came from several NBA fans across the country ranging from ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith to the average NBA fan. When LeBr… Kevin Durant decided to leave OKC and join the 73–9 Golden State Warriors, it not only disrupted the entire sports world with shock and astonishment. As Team USA goes into the 2016 Olympic Games expecting another gold medal, the makeup of the team after Durant’s epic decision really prove to be quite ironic. This US team consist of three current Golden State Warriors fans, including Kevin Durant, Cleveland Cavaliers defending champion Kyrie Irving, and former Warriors player Harrison Barnes, who isn’t with the Warriors anymore because of the addition of Durant. As these players and the rest of Team USA seem to have a good time and get along well, shown through Snapchat, Instagram, and other modes of social media, these same players won’t be so friendly and welcoming once the NBA season begins. While many fans had a problem with KD’s decision, many Golden State Warriors fans, bandwagons, and quinnessential LeBron James haters proved to back up his decision. For starters, it is completely unfair to LeBron James to say he did the same thing back in 2010. Sure, he made his decision on live television, known as “The Decision.” Sure, he didn’t tell his owner beforehand that he was not staying in Cleveland. But other than that, what was truly the crime associated with someone leaving an organization after seven long years of blood, sweat, and tears and going to a team in Miami who didn’t have the reigning back-to-back MVP, 73–9 record, and two previous NBA finals appearances. The “if you can’t beat them, join them” philosophy is one that truly fits Durant’s decision. To say LeBron started the idea of superteams is pure fallacy as the joining of superstars happened on several previous occasions. The Kobe, Gasol, Bynum trio proved to be one of the cases that was pretty successful over a short period of time, while the Kobe, Nash, Howard trio was not so much. Pierce, Garnett, and Ray Allen teamed up in Boston, resulting in a big 3 (or 4 including Rondo) to battle the overpowering Lakers. The teaming up of superstars goes all the way back to the early 2000s, with Kobe and Shaq teaming up. Superstars teaming up goes back even farther, from John Stockton and Malone to Magic, Kareem, and Worthy. Whatever you deem to be a superstar or regular all-star, there is no way to consider a back-to-back MVP in Stephen Curry to not be a superstar. The fact that a player of the caliber of Kevin Durant would join Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and the 73–9 Warriors teaches the younger generation all of the wrongs of the idea of competition. The Miami Heat NEEDED Lebron James during those four years in order to win a championship. The Golden State Warriors surely don’t NEED Kevin Durant by any means to win a title, which they’ve almost done twice in back-to-back years without him. In an era where mostly any serious, competitive basketball player plays AAU (Amateur Athletic Union), the top players in these regions and states go up against and play with one another, resulting in long-term relationships that will last past their basketball careers. Nowadays, even high school players are committing to colleges and universities in package deals, trying to form the perfect, dominating super team of freshman. Not to say there is anything wrong with that, but what happened to going against the best to prove you are the best. What happened to mostly all NBA teams actually having a chance of making the playoffs and making a deep run, instead of only truly three teams having a chance of winning the title. What happened to the best players not necessarily showing they can do it alone, but instead carrying their teams with supporting casts instead of two or three other All-Stars. What Kevin Durant did would be like LeBron choosing to go to the Celtics instead of the Heat in those years that he couldn’t get over the hump against the Celtics. Everyone has a right to go wherever they want to and make whatever decision they feel is best for them, but this decision will only prove to negatively impact the idea of competition and the role of super teams in the younger generation. As Team USA dives into pool play and expects another gold medal, what will actually be the reactions of them winning besides, “They were supposed to win the gold medal!” That will apply to the 2016–2017 Warriors. If they do win the title, many would claim that they were supposed to win the title without question. If they do not win the title, the move will reap so much criticism and backlash. Whatever the future holds, any and everyone should see why Kevin Durant’s move was not the best for the NBA long-term and for sports in general when it comes to the idea of competition.