A lot of NBA fans continue to criticize Kevin Durant for leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder. The thing that fans tend to forget is that Durant was actually drafted by Seattle. What loyalty does he owe OKC? After being drafted by Seattle, the owner of the team just up and moves the team on a moments notice? Who can blame him for not being loyal? With Durant now in Golden State, he actually gets to return to Seattle on Friday for a preseason game against the Kings.
Durant made it very clear that he is fond of Seattle and advocates for their return:
For sure,” Durant told ESPN. “Most definitely. It’s a basketball city. It’s a sports town. … They have a good representation of basketball in the NBA from Seattle-born players, Washington state-born players. And I feel like that whole brand deserves an NBA team. Just like the Golden State Warriors deserve a team or the Los Angeles Lakers deserve a team, Seattle is that same way. [A team] has that same type of impact in the community. So [we have] a lot of time in life before this whole thing is over, and I’m sure we’ll see a team before it’s time.”
It’s hard not to think of the what if had the franchise never moved to Oklahoma City. Had they not moved the franchise, never traded James Harden to save pennies, and drafted Kevin Love instead of Russell Westbrook I’m not sure if he ever leaves. The possibilities are endless but I’m sure Golden State is happy with the way things turned out.
“I look back on it and picture what it would have been like to [still] live there and play there, but I had no control [over the move],” he said. “I spent some great, great years in Oklahoma City, and that path was perfect for me. But I still got a connection with the Northwest area, always going up there with Nike in Portland, making trips to Seattle here and there, just knowing that I’m always going to be a Sonic. I think no matter what jersey I put on, I think those fans know that.”
Who knows; Maybe if Seattle comes back then Durant will return and then NBA fanboys will stop crying about the lack of parity?
