Kevin Durant left the Golden State Warriors in 2019. He teamed up with Kyrie Irving and James Harden on the Brooklyn Nets. His tenure on the East Coast didn’t go to plan, leading him to join the Phoenix Suns in 2023. However, Frank Vogel’s team was swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round of the playoffs.
According to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, Durant’s struggles since leaving Golden State clearly indicate that he made a mistake when he chose to bolt from the Bay Area. Smith believes Durant’s failure to succeed since leaving Golden State is self-inflicted.
“The bottom line is this: You left Steph Curry to join Kyrie Irving,” Smith said. “You departed from Brooklyn to go to Phoenix. The situation was self-inflicted. And that, especially when you go out like this, is going to be as, if not more, remembered than the titles that you won with Steph Curry and Klay Thompson.”
Durant’s career hasn’t gone as many expected since leaving the Warriors. He had a role that suited his skillset perfectly under Steve Kerr. He was winning and contending for championships on a consistent basis.
Nevertheless, Durant made his decision and has since endured some difficult stretches with his new teams. Still, the Suns have three of the best scoring talents in the NBA on their roster. Durant still has a chance to change the narrative surrounding his career. However, it would be surprising to find out he sometimes wondered how things could have been different had he remained in the Bay Area back in 2019.
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