With the Golden State Warriors eliminated from postseason contention after back-to-back losses in the Western Conference play-in tournament, Warriors Wire is highlighting standout performances, memorable contests and historical dates in Golden State’s history.
On the fourth of July in 2016, the Warriors welcomed one of the most impactful free agent signings in franchise history.
July 4, 2016
After a season with the Seattle Supersonics and an eight-year career with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Kevin Durant hit free agency with seven All-Star game nods, a Most Valuable Player award and an appearance in the NBA Finals on his resume.
With interest from multiple teams, Durant announced he was joining the defending Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors on July 4, 2016.
In the 2016 postseason, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and the Warriors eliminated Durant’s Thunder in a seven-game battler in the Western Conference Finals. Following Golden State’s victory in the conference finals, the Warriors fell to LeBron James and Kyrie Irving in the 2016 Finals.
Via @ESPNNBA on Twitter:
Five years ago, KD announced he was joining the Warriors and went on to win two titles in the Bay 🏆 pic.twitter.com/qCNYKNElpl
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) July 4, 2021
With Durant donning blue and gold, the Warriors went on another run through the postseason. After the Texas Longhorns product tallied 25.1 points on 53.7% shooting from the floor with 8.3 boards and 4.8 assists in his first regular season in the Bay Area, Durant pushed the Warriors against LeBron James and the Cavaliers in a rematch of the previous two NBA Finals.
Durant averaged 35.2 points on 55.6% shooting from the floor and 47.4% shooting from beyond the arc on 7.6 triples per contest. Durant added 8.2 boards, 5.4 assists and 1.6 blocks in five games. Following Golden State’s campaign to another championship, Durant was named Finals Most Valuable Player.
In three seasons with Golden State, Durant went on to win another title and another Finals MVP award. In his third appearance in the NBA Finals with the Warriors, Durant suffered an Achilles tendon injury against the Toronto Raptors.
Following Golden State’s loss in the Finals, Durant became a free agent. The 11-time All-Star later opted to sign with the Brooklyn Nets in the 2019 offseason.
Over his three years in Golden State, Durant averaged 25.8 points on 52.4% shooting from the floor and 38.4% shooting from long distance. Durant won two titles, two Finals MVP awards along with three bids to the All-Star team and an All-NBA First Team honor.
In 2020, Durant returned from injury with the Brooklyn Nets. The former Golden State forward tallied 26.9 points on 53.7% shooting from the floor in 35 games. Durant’s season came to an end after Brooklyn’s game seven loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.
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