Durant’s Rebirth
When he and the Oklahoma City Thunder reached the NBA Finals in 2012, it seemed as if Durant was challenging LeBron for the throne of the best player in basketball.
At the age of 23, Durant had won his third straight scoring title and looked to be the next thing standing in the way of a LeBron James’ championship. Instead, the Miami Heat blew by Oklahoma City in five games.
Durant continued his dominant scoring, averaging 30.6 points per game, but it wasn’t enough. LeBron captured what he had set out for, and Kevin Durant still hasn’t.
He won his first career MVP (the legendary speech ensued) and a fourth scoring title in 2014, averaging 32 points per game. But he fell to the Spurs in the Western Conference Finals.
The following season, riddled with injuries, KD only got on the floor for 27 games.
Returning to the spotlight in the 2016 playoffs, Durant and the Thunder were on the brink of doing the impossible.
In Game 4 of the conference semifinals (down 2–1 in the series vs. San Antonio), it seemed as if the Thunder flipped a switch. Scoring 41, tied for his playoff career-high, Durant absolutely carried his team to tie the series 2–2. The Thunder didn’t turn back, winning two more in a row to put down the old Spurs in six.
Then all of a sudden, Oklahoma City was looking like the best team in the league, up on the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals 3–1(yes, those guys who went 73–9).
You know the rest. Golden State won the next three and stole the series in seven.
Just like in 2012, the league’s top superstar stole Durant’s thunder.
Now, just prior to the beginning of the free agency period in the NBA, Durant is back at the top of the basketball world. But this time, competitors aren’t trying to take him down, they’re trying to lure him in.
Durant, the biggest free agent to hit the market since LeBron, essentially holds the balance of the NBA in his hand.
The six teams that scored a meeting with the Thunder star — Oklahoma City, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Clippers — have the potential to land one of the best players of this generation.
This is a crossroads of Durant’s career.
Like LeBron in 2010 and 2014 and Kobe from 2004–2007, Durant has the chance to turn the page and become an even better version of himself. As a leader, a businessman and a player.
It’s Kevin Durant’s time to take over.
We will find out in the coming days what Durant will decide, but my main point in this piece is to make the claim that this is about to be Durant’s league.
Hear me out.
It’s been LeBron’s for the past few years, Curry stole it for a fun 2015 and 2016, and then Bron stole it back.
As noted in a 2013 Sports Illustrated cover story, Durant is tired of being second. And I’m sure being third for the past couple years has been much worse.
LeBron finally attained what he had been striving towards for his entire career — a title for Cleveland and Northeast Ohio. With that quest being won, I find it hard to believe that LeBron will ever have the same drive again. Not saying he is going to fall off the face of the planet, but after a grueling, challenging season like that, and with his kingdom now established, I can see King James start to lose some competitive edge in the near future.
And also, the Golden State Warriors are BEATABLE. It can be done! After a 73–9 regular season (the best record in NBA history), the Thunder and the Cavaliers both exposed the Warriors to actual humanity, where it turns out they are not an unstoppable juggernaut.
2016–2017 is the year for Kevin Durant. It’s his big summer and the league is stuck on pause.
Since he lost to LeBron in 2012, James has gone to five more NBA Finals and won two. Since he won the MVP in 2014, Steph Curry won two of his own.
Forget where he takes his talents, no matter where he plays or what colors he wears, Kevin Durant is in position to take the sport of basketball as his own.
The ball, really the entire league, is in his court. And everyone is anxiously watching his next move.
