The drama regarding Kevin Durant and how he feels about his former Golden State Warriors teammates remain a noteworthy NBA season. Durant won two NBA Championships joining the 73-win Warriors team led by Stephen Curry. However, various comments have shown that Durant doesn’t hold all love for that chapter of his career and felt taken for granted by Golden State fans.
The same Warriors fans will likely be unhappy with Durant’s all-time starting five, named on the Rushmore podcast:
PG: LeBron James
SG: Tracy McGrady
SF: Durant
PF: Kevin Garnett
C: Hakeem Olajuwon
Coach: Steve Kerr
An interesting lineup sees Curry as the most noteworthy teammate snubbed by Durant. Most basketball minds view Magic Johnson and Curry as the two top point guards in NBA history. Durant decided to move current Philadelphia 76ers star LeBron from his usual small forward position to point guard since he’s a great passer.
McGrady was the strangest pick, but he was a must-watch player for anyone to watch in the early 2000s. Despite never winning a first-round playoff series, McGrady was a dynamic superstar for the Orlando Magic. Injuries eventually cut his prime short to see Durant favoring him over Curry and other guards.
Why Kevin Durant Often Snubs Warriors
The three-year run in Golden State was a success with NBA Finals appearances every year and two rings. Durant’s injury was the main reason that the Warriors lost the 2019 NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors, or it would have been three rings in three years.
However, the criticism towards Durant for joining a team that won before, during, and after his tenure clearly upset him. Durant felt disrespected by Draymond Green and criticized head coach Steve Kerr as some negative variables at the end of the run together.
Social media comments have seen Durant implying that Warriors fans dislike him for taking two Finals MVPs away from Curry. That could explain the selection, but Durant has praised Curry in recent years. The current Houston Rockets star has a unique perspective and likely was just being honest, even though it looks bad to snub his iconic point guard teammate.
Kevin Durant’s Steve Kerr Praise Was Surprising
Many reporters believe that Kerr was the biggest reason for Durant wanting to leave Golden State for the Brooklyn Nets once his contract expired. Kerr didn’t step in when Green cursed out Durant and allegedly didn’t do enough to make Durant feel at home.
However, KD gave Kerr the ultimate respect picking him as the all-time coach he’d want. Durant and Kerr seemed to mend fences during the Olympics with Kerr as the coach and Durant as one of the most important players for Team USA. Winning gold together ended some of the tension.
Curry likely doesn’t care about getting snubbed here, but it makes sense that Warriors fans will not be happy. Durant has made it clear that he doesn’t care about alienating fans of former teams like the Warriors or Phoenix Suns. Many pundits which jersey Durant will wear when he gets inducted into the Hall of Fame without an official NBA home.
Kevin Durant Snubs Stephen Curry From All-Time Starting Lineup