Kevin Durant knows what it’s like to take some heat for deciding to switch teams.
Just last summer, Durant left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors. The 28-year-old was – and still is – crucified by many on the outside for joining the “superteam” that had just beat him in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, as he was labeled for taking the easy way out.
Durant understands how it feels to be the hero, and how it feels to be the enemy. It’s why he respects Kyrie Irving for taking control and understanding the criticism that he would face for requesting a trade from LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I can really appreciate what he did. He stood up for himself. He showed a lot of courage, man, because it’s hard to take that type of criticism. When you just want to play ball. I feel him on that,” Durant said on The Bill Simmons Podcast.
With James potentially leaving Cleveland for a second time following the 2017-18 season, Durant has experienced firsthand the type of noise that will follow James throughout the season. Durant understands how Irving, who seems to be just entering the prime of his career at 25 years old, might not want to be in that environment.
“When you’re around LeBron James, there’s so much that comes with that. Outside distractions and conversations and just noise that just comes around, just from being around LeBron James. And Kyrie was at the point, like, ‘All right, we lost the championship. This whole season’s gonna be about if LeBron’s gonna leave or not. I’m ready for a new challenge.’ All that stuff kind of met at the pinnacle of why he wanted to leave.”
On Monday, Irving was ultimately traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for All-Star Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Zizic, and the Brooklyn Nets’ 2018 first round draft pick. While Irving’s request to leave Cleveland was granted, Thomas was traded away from an organization in Boston that he had spoken very highly of, enjoyed playing for and helped turn into one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. Thomas even suited up for the Celtics in the playoffs just a day after his sister tragically passed away.
The Celtics, no doubt, enjoyed Thomas and were appreciative of what he did for the organization. Monday’s trade, though, seems to show how the league is a business.
“It’s been happening for years. Guys have been getting traded in their sleep for years,” Durant said. “Guys have been getting the s***** end of the stick for years. I mean, some guys have been f****** over organizations too. It’s no loyalty. It’s business. There’s money involved.”
“But then at the end of the day it’s like, ‘no, we need this spot, or we need this money. We gotta move him.’ At the end of the day, he’s gonna get it. It’s a part of the business.”
Durant’s comments about the league being a business and a lack of loyalty will be seen by some as a shot toward Oklahoma City. Durant has learned there’s little that can be done to control how people interpret what he says. Durant’s relationship with his former running mate in OKC, Russell Westbook, is complicated, but the 2017 Finals MVP says that they still remain friends.
“I don’t think we ever stopped being friends,” Durant said. “We just stopped talking — but I don’t think we stopped being friends.”
“Not talking, nah, but I mean, I don’t think any… there’s no problems,” Durant said. “But I don’t think we ever stopped being friends.”