Let LeBron and KD be great.
A Brief History of NBA Super Teams
For the entire NBA season the focus has been on the inevitable. Round 3 of the NBA Finals: Cleveland vs Golden State. The ‘Dubs (Warriors) took the first round. Cavs fans claimed that it was because of the lack of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. They backed this up when they rallied from 3–1 the next year to take the championship over a 73–9 Golden State Warriors team. Warriors fans claimed it was because of Draymond Green’s suspension.
And what did the Warriors do after they lost? They stacked up and signed the 2014 NBA MVP and a 4 time scoring champion, Kevin Durant. Durant was criticized heavily by the media, fans, and their mamas. Basically everyone. While his jersey was not burned by fans like Cleveland did when LeBron James teamed up with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in 2010, he was certainly berated. Durant has been called “soft”, a “marshmellow”, and even a coward by past players, and sports analysts alike.
LeBron was called “traitor,” he was essentially the Benedict Arnold of Cleveland sports. Even though his departure granted the additions of Kyrie Irving, Tristian Thompson, and Andrew Wiggins who was later traded for Kevin Love.
The question is…why? Why do this? We as basketball fans have the luxury of watching possibly the two greatest Small Forwards to ever play the game go toe to toe, a second time! Durant made the finals with OKC, and was strapped with Russell Westrbook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka. They lost. None of these guys however were in their primes when they took on the Cerberus of LeBron, D-Wade, and Chris Bosh.
A lot of fans claim that it is LeBron’s fault, but how could that be the case when Charles Barkley left Phoenix to join Hakeem Olajuwon and Clyde Drexler in Houston during the 90s? When NBA MVP Moses Malone left the Rockets in the 80s to play with NBA MVP Julius Erving and star Mo’ Cheeks in Philadelphia? You can even look at the last decade. Kobe & Shaq’s departure resulted in Shaq going to Miami to play with Wade, Phoenix to play with Nash, and even Cleveland to play with LeBron. Don’t forget Shaq joined Boston’s “Big 3.”
Lamar Odom joined Kobe with Pau Gasol. Ray Allen did it twice (Boston/Miami). Paul Pierce tried to replicate his success with the “Big 3 (Pierce/Allen/Garnett) with John Wall & Bradley Beale, as well as Chris Paul & Blake Griffin. Players shuffle in hopes for glory. It is the nature of the game. And today’s athletes have more leverage over themselves than previous generations.
The NBA is a business that owns businesses. And its players are the most important employees to the company. Do you stay in an unhappy situation at your job to be loyal to your “work friends?” Or do you go out and better yourself to achieve your dreams? I know I certainly would rather chase my dreams. In life, we choose to leave our job, sometimes one with people we like, to better ourselves. So what do you think LeBron and Durant did?
We need to stop berating players for bettering their situation even if it slightly stifles competition. Memphis and Atlanta’s chances to reach the Finals did not diminish because KD joined the Warriors.
A lot of people I say this to react, saying that the NBA is an entertainment business, its job is to entertain the fan. While that may be true, I call bluff. The NBA is not the WWE as much as its conspiracy theorists speculate. None of us would be complaining if our favorite NBA team drafted Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. And then followed up with acquiring Kevin Durant, Andre Igouadala, and David West over the next few seasons.
Quit complaining and let these two be great. If LeBron loses, he probably isn’t in the G.O.A.T conversation with a 3–5 record in the NBA Finals. But its not like he won’t be top 5 all time player. As for Durant? If he splits with LeBron he is in good shape as far as his career goes. Not to mention, he’s a 7 foot Kobe Bryant.
You can’t tell someone to they won’t be great if they don’t win rings, and then turn around and criticize them for chasing them. Let these two future legends duke it out and celebrate their greatness. We might be seeing this match up for awhile.
