Warriors owner Joe Lacob has issued a statement on Kevin Durant‘s impending departure from the franchise, thanking the two-time Finals MVP for his contributions on the court and in the community. After wishing Durant well in the “next chapter” of his career, Lacob concludes his statement with a strong declaration on KD’s place in Warriors history.
“As long as I am Co-Chairman of this team, no player will ever wear No. 35 for the Warriors again,” Lacob said.
[RELATED: Kevin Durant to sign with the Nets]
Lacob’s announcement is a major sign of respect for Durant, and comes just hours after Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated published a story which suggested that a perceived lack of respect in Oakland may have helped push the former MVP to Brooklyn.
According to Spears, Durant’s friend Kendrick Perkins believes that KD had “one foot out the door” this past season because the Warriors made him feel underappreciated. A source close to Durant also told Spears that there were several things that happened over the past year that contributed to the forward’s decision to leave.
Spears points to an early-season, on-court altercation with Draymond Green – in which Green reportedly “called [Durant] out with an expletive” and made it clear that the Warriors had won in the past without him – as one of a negative incidents that occurred during the last year. An awkward joke by GM Bob Myers about Durant’s contract situation during the team’s 2018 championship celebration was another, Spears notes.
“All [of those negative incidents] showed a lack of respect for one of the greatest players to put that uniform on and the fact that he took all that abuse and still put his career on the line to help them win,” a source close to Durant told Spears.
“It was time for him to leave Golden State,” Perkins said of Durant, per Spears. “They were taking him for granted.”
Classy move by classy organization. They didn’t have to do anything like this but they went ahead and did so anyway. Most people pushing him out the door and under appreciating but the franchise is grateful for what he did. Two championships three finals. Nice job KD and thank you.
Yes and so sorry KD suffered such “abuse.”
I am shocked–SHOCKED–that Draymond Green being a jackass had a negative impact on the team.
It didn’t. Read the news. Durant was already out the door. When ur teammates know ur not staying, I’d call that a negative impact. It’s shocking green is getting blamed for nothing that he had a part in. Durant clearly didn’t like how the fans showed more love for curry than him.
What’s shocking is how Durant shockingly would rather be loved than paraded.
should be fun I mean if Kyrie thought Lebron was too dominant wait until he shares the court with Durant.
The bad Bob Myers joke was an indication that the Warriors management were totally tone deaf to how sensitive Durant is to perceived slights and disrespect. As Durant said just a few weeks ago, in his time with the Warriors it has always been “the Warriors and KD” – as if KD was not really one of them. Maybe he was going to leave no matter what, but the Warriors made it an easy decision for him.
I think the Myers joke was meant to be at the expense of the medias stupidity but Myers should have known better considering how emotionally unstable KD is.
Only Warriors nation or whatever find this tiny gesture to be meaningful. Durant finally got some rings, but at what cost, GS ruined his legacy and contributed to potentially a career changing injury. That Draymond is a overvalued ass hat, his jersey should say regression because that’s been the momentum of his talent
Eh, for better or worse KD will never be mentioned with the cult-like greats (Jordan, LeBron, Kobe..etc) simply because he handles all his problems passive-agressievly. Its a trait that is often associated (not saying rightly or wrongly) with weakness and uncertainty and it reduces people quickly.
He never aired his slights publicly, his burner account situation, the constant rumblings about “not being appreciated,” sports fans want lowercase “w” warriors and KD has not really filled the typical role. I think he’ll forever be frustrated by how the public treats him both verbally and implicitly.
Also, the Myers thing is not a “classy move.” It’s a risk-free move to soften the blow about letting his star player potentially end his career by giving incomplete medical guidance. I’m not saying there is any malfiecence, but it cost him nothing to say and should be treated as such.
Agree, but what’s the lowercase w about?
referring to a warrior and not the team The Warriors.
ITS GSW POLICY TO ALLOW ALL PLAYERS TO HAVE THE PLAYER USE HIS TEAM OF PHYSICIANS, TRAINERS AND HANDLERS TO MAKE ALL FINAL DECISIONS AS TO WHETHER THAT PLAYER WILL PLAY.
Durant and Durant only made the decision to play. You all can keep reading the social media twits who spread NONfact based comments. I think they’re called rumors.
The Warriors never underappreciated Durant. More like the media saying the Warriors underappreciated Durant and that got in Durant’s head. Oh well. The Warriors may have dodged a bullet if KD never returns to form. And he may not. The guy looks pretty fragile (physically and emotionally).
U nailed it Dougie. Although I disagree with “dodged a bullet if KD never returns to form” cuz it now appears that even if healthy he would have declined the warriors.
Having said that, I got very tired of his overactive sensitivity and didn’t care one way or the other if they kept him. Great player. Greater shoulder chip. It’s the loss of Klay that magnified the loss of Durant.
Don’t let the door tear ur other Achilles on the way out.
Yeah your classless fan, oh yeah your GS fans of course you haven’t any class. Seriously though your second best active player is Draymond Green let that sink in I hope y’all give him the max next summer it will be a great laugh for the next five years.
First off, ur right, that was a classless comment. Second of all, why are so many people critical of what caused the rift between green and Durant—green accusing Durant of bailing on the warriors—when it’s now a story that Durant had planned to leave. How was Durant disrespected by a teammate when the teammate said the truth. Third, if you know the game you would know how green was clearly the best gsw player in the finals. He made a conscious decision to get in better shape during the season losing 20 pounds from mid season on. He played better than ever.
So yeah, I’ll take five more years of that.
I agree, only the media and people who know little to nothing about basketball under appreciated him. The media created the whole ‘Warriors are better without KD’ narrative and kept pushing it. The fans and team know how important he was to them. KD should’ve realized what everyone else was trying to do, get him off the Warriors.
Everyone knows that as long as Curry, Klay, KD, and Green stay healthy for the full postseason no one is stopping them. People wanted to run him out of GS, and he let them.
Ummm.. when Draymond said to him they didn’t need him was that an appreciative gesture. Fact. The GSW never beat a healthy Cavs team without Durant. We can only guess what could’ve happened if they DIDN’T have GSW. He was the ONLY unstoppable player on that team. He erases all mistakes and all bad games by his teammate. Facts.
So ur opinions r ur facts. Brilliant. How about this—the only way Cleveland was able to beat gsw was by goading draymond into the T that got him suspended. That’s not basketball superiority. That’s a emotional superiority. Cavs should have been 3 time bridesmaids.
If you think the FACT that Draymond missing the game that cost them the title is my OPINION? Then ur an idiot. Which should be obvious by the FACT that ur a fan of two teams which probably used to be just one team—the Knicks. They stink so you hopped on to the Cav bandwagon. Tell me I’m wrong.
Oh exactly, Curry Green and Klay are definitely not unstoppable and all have injury problems especially those splash bros.
OKC immediately gave #35 to a rookie scrub.
GSW retires #35 for 3 seasons of service.
Light. Years. Ahead.
hahaha good call @ strike four.
That is because Oklahoma city is a very low class franchise. Once you leave they could care less about all your years of service.
That’s because of the way he left OKC, it was bad. Unlike GS who pushed him to play while injured and have some responsibility in his injury that their fan base is now laughing about if he stayed y’all would say he would be back by April and at 85% he is still top 5,cause y’all was saying that a few weeks ago.
Another episode in the never-ending saga about Kevin Durant’s inferiority complex.
People like to worry about Irving added to the Nets; should be worried about Durant. Is anyone allowed to holler at him? Is it an eggshells situation?
First of all, facts DO matter. It most decidedly NOT Bob Myers who made that asinine joke. It was play by play moron Bob Fitzgerald, an embarrassment of an announcer (along with color guy Jim Barnett, who is long past his sell-by date). Bob Myers would never have said anything to make KD uncomfortable in such a setting.
If getting paid over 30 million a year is a sign of being unappreciated then by all means we all need to switch careers…
Durant is a cry baby. So sick of hearing this “ unappreciated” CRAP. Dude did you get paid millions of dollars? Did any check bounce? Get over yourselves already. It is basketball and a God given talent. Millions of fans would switch places with you in a Heartbeat.
Thanks for all the hard work, team dedication, health sacrifices and skillful play. You helped achieve the ultimate goal of Chip celebrations. We appreciate you KD. Can’t wait to watch some meaningful GSW games against you soon. Enjoy yourself offseason. Heal well.
Wait until the New York media does its thing. That is the last place for a thin-skinned person. The Warriors gave him two rings in his three years. What else did they need to do?
Kiss his booboos and read him bedtime stories
Sad that this was leaked from the Durant camp. Never heard anything bad about the Warriors and it feels like they tried to be preemptive with some negativity ahead of any backlash KD might have gotten which he hasn’t really gotten. For the “drama” that he was distracted by, I think we’re seeing where it’s coming from.
And “under appreciated”? The Warriors, from the FO to fellow players, went out of their way to make him feel welcome and adapt around him. I think Nash was right in that he thought a championship would fill a void he had and it didn’t. I think he’s just the type that never feels fulfilled.