© Troy Taormina | 2019 May 6
Three offseason’s ago, it was a fateful trip to The Hamptons that helped seal Kevin Durant’s decision to join the Warriors. This offseason, there would be no such pitch.
Curry was taking a flight from China to visit Durant in New York, in what was assumed as a last ditch attempt to convince the two-time Finals MVP to re-sign with the Warriors. Before Curry had arrived, however, Durant had already made his decision according to Marcus Thompson of The Athletic:
Stephen Curry flew straight to the New York area from Shanghai, China. But he wasn’t going to pitch Kevin Durant on why he should stay with the Warriors. It was already too late. He was on the plane when the news broke that Durant was leaving for Brooklyn.
And Curry didn’t turn the jet around or cancel the trip. Because it wasn’t about recruiting. It was about respect. It was about thanks … he was there to wish Durant happiness and peace, express his support for his decision.
And when Curry got to Durant’s apartment in Manhattan, Durant confirmed to Curry his decision that their time together was over. Face to face. Man to man. Friend to friend.
Durant had been planning on leaving the Warriors to team up with Kyrie Irving since last offseason, and his mind was clearly made up will before the news broke on Monday.
Though the Curry-Durant partnership never quite reached the heights many foresaw, the two still helped usher in the most dominant stretch in Warriors history, winning back-to-back titles with relative ease during the tandem’s first two seasons.