The Grip - Fri 6.8.18

Confronting the KD question

June 08, 2018

6.8.18

Written while listening to The Talking Head's Burning Down the House[Spotify] [Apple Music]

Kevin Durant owns this town

No. 2 Golden State vs. No. 4 Cleveland

Game 1: Warriors 124, Cavaliers 114 [OT] Game 2: Warriors 122, Cavaliers 103 Game 3: Warriors 110, Cavaliers 102 [Box Score] [Highlights]Game 4: Warriors @ Cavaliers, Friday, 9 PM EST, ABC

Kevin Durant owns a large piece of real estate in his own head.

It’s occupied by himself and not much else. He spends most of his time, scrunching most of his 7-foot frame, in there. When he’s huddled inside, he likes to do everyday human things. You know -- create fake burner accounts to defend his honor, claim that India is all monkeys, decide that his teammate’s shoes suck, join podcasts while maybe drunk, gag up half a sip of light beer, join tech panels to boost his Bay Area Chicness. That type of thing.

He owns all of the quality time in his own head.

He also owns Cleveland.

The mercurial all-time great who pissed off the entire world except Oakland and the rest of those cities had another all-time great moment In Wednesday’s game three while Steph Curry and Klay Thompson both struggled to find rhythm, racking up 43 points, 13 rebounds, seven assists and a familiar looking dagger from the one in last year’s finals, when the Golden State Warriors went up 3-0 on the road on the Cleveland Cavaliers.

You can pick your year at this point. Some details may be slightly off; you get the point. This is obvious greatness that we are watching that feels so tainted. But is that fair?

The 1986 Celtics had five Hall of Famers -- four at their peak and one in a perfect bench role, plus Danny Ainge. Len Bias was supposed to be on the way. The ‘00-’02 Lakers had one real challenge (the ‘02 Kings) and otherwise gallivanted past the Pacers in six, the 76ers in five, and the Nets in four.

Were people mad when Mike was winning six of eight? I’m asking, actually. I was one when he first retired.

Of course, this all comes down to Kevin Durant. The Warriors were legitimately pantheon level great before he got there, but they had a worthy foe in Cleveland. Durant was obviously the best player in the Western Conference, but eight years into a suffocating situation.

He probably had to leave, though people seem to forget him and Russell Westbrook were a quarter from the NBA Finals in 2016.

I have grappled with the fact that Westbrook is impossible to fit around, and that OKC just isn’t a sexy enough place for a person other than an introvert like Westbrook. You can only stay loyal to a team and a city for so long before you become Kevin Garnett in Minnesota.

And people take pay raises and job upgrades and city upgrades all the time. In the real world, praise floods in when such news is announced.

Why can’t we be happy for Kevin Durant, who claimed all along he was just looking for happiness and a higher level of basketball?

A couple of things: He’s acted like a moody, self-conscious weirdo since his decision, which ultimately makes it look like he knows he kind of did a weak thing.

Also: The Durant redemption tour would kick into high gear if Durant collected his second ring this season, opted out of his contract, and moved elsewhere for a new setting and challenge.

S.I.’s Andrew Sharp had a really good column out today about Durant, and why it’s so hard for us to accept what he did. He brings up the new team idea and pitches a world in which the NBA gains back some of its much-needed equilibrium:

He's a free agent as of next month. So imagine if Durant came out and said, "I went to Golden State to win titles, play with great teammates, and learn. These past two years have been the most rewarding basketball experience of my life, and I loved it. Now it's time for a new challenge. The Warriors were great before I got here, and they will be great after I leave. I want to build something new." Then he signed in L.A. to play with Paul George or LeBron. How quickly would the entire world get behind that movement? Lakers fans would adore him, and the rest of the country would be able to watch him go ballistic trying to beat his old teammates. He becomes the biggest star on the planet outside of LeBron, he'd be a natural heir to Kobe, a wonderful mentor to Brandon Ingram, Nike could force Magic Johnson to trade Lonzo for a real point guard, and ... Look, it makes a lot of sense.

I suggest reading the rest. It nails the feeling of every non-Warriors fan.

For now, I’ll shut up and watch game four. In 2028, I will be anxiously awaiting Durant’s tell-all on ESPN to Doris Burke about the things he would have done differently.

For Cleveland in game three, Rodney Hood had a good game and Kevin Love came to play. But, seriously, what’s LeBron supposed to do? Pass to himself?

- S.E.

The Nick Young NBA Championship ring countdown: Today might be the day, folks. And we thought that seeing Durant getting his ring might be the hardest thing to watch. Think again.

The offseason has already begun for Woj & friends

Adrian Wojnarowski, controller of the NBA newscape outside of burner Colangelo accounts, has been going off recently on summer trade speculation.

Here are some topics he and others have reported on, which will all be beaten to the ground leading up to free agency this summer, which begins July 1. Here’s your early rumor round-up:

(Even more ridiculous are the tweets about LeBron’s potential destinations for next year. He’s in the middle of [losing] the NBA Finals!)

  • Stephen A. Smith says LeBron James will have a conversation with the Warriors this summer. Smith also reports James will have conversations with the Celtics, Rockets and Sixers during free agency.

(There is probably no one in the world who knows where LeBron is going yet. Maybe not even LeBron. Brian Windhorst shed a little bit of light here.]

  • Warriors Rumors: Trevor Ariza is among those rumored to take a pay cut to join Golden State in free agency. He’ll be a good fit. But they’ll sweep the 2019 Finals with or without him.

  • According to a Rockets reporter, “immediately following the Clippers-Rockets altercation in January, Deandre Jordan expressed frustration and desire to play in Houston to multiple players on the team bus. He's stated intent throughout the year.”

What else happened?