Ever since his MVP days in Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant has made a big name for himself in the league. They commonly refer to him as the best scorer in the league for his skill and unstoppable nature. Even the great Kobe Bryant had admitted that he couldn’t figure out how to stop Kevin Durant.
He arguably missed out on a chance at the Eastern Conference Finals last season because of placing his toes half an inch on the three-point line. But, this wasn’t the first time that Durant felt he missed out on a chance at glory. He feels he could’ve “easily” won the third ring with the Warriors in 2019.
Kobe Bryant explains why Kevin Durant was the toughest player for him to guard.
Kobe’s basketball IQ shines through in this clip🙌 pic.twitter.com/ihyP4x9jeA
— ProCity Hoops (@ProCityHoops) August 15, 2021
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After signing Kevin Durant in 2016, the Golden State Warriors became a force to be reckoned with. Since then, at a point in time, they have had all five starters who were or had been All-Stars. Comprising Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, Kevin Durant, and DeMarcus Cousins.
Despite this all-star lineup having a short stint (as DeMarcus Cousins soon left for the Lakers) the Golden State Warriors went to the 2019 NBA Finals to face Kawhi Leonard and his Toronto Raptors. Unfortunately, they did not win after the team lost both Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson to injuries.
Woke up this morning happy for loyal Bucks fans. They deserve it.
And Giannis and Jrue Holiday – better human beings than basketball player.But also can’t help but think back on Game 7 of the ECF and Kevin Durant’s “big ass foot.”
Game of inches.
An inch shaped legacies… pic.twitter.com/WraglhGqGK
— Tommy Beer (@TommyBeer) July 21, 2021
While the media only focused on what could’ve been, Durant and Green did not hesitate to confirm that they felt the same way.
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Kevin Durant and Draymond Green’s Take on the 2019 NBA Finals
Recently, Draymond Green and Kevin Durant sat down to have a recorded conversation to discuss several aspects revolving around their time together with the Warriors. One of the boldest claims that we came across in this conversation was when Draymond was talking about Kevin’s time with the Warriors.
He says “You then did three years there (at Golden State), won two championships, would’ve been three had you not got hurt”. To this, Kevin instantly replied “Easily” showing his confidence in the team and himself.
Draymond Green and Kevin Durant think the #Warriors would have EASILY won against Toronto in the 2019 #NBA Finals. 😳
Thoughts? 🤔💭 pic.twitter.com/LdjLSpSCd4
— NBA Analysis Network (@HoopAnalysisNet) August 20, 2021
It is an undeniable fact that this claim was substantiated very well. The dominance of the Golden State Warriors in the league took the supporters back to the 1950s when Bill Russell’s Celtics had a dynasty run in the league. The Warriors made 5 back-to-back Finals which was only done by Bill Russell’s Celtics before.
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While the injuries also added to Toronto’s confidence, the hit on the team morale must’ve been immense. Considering two of the five all-stars that the franchise banked on got injured at the worst moment. Naturally, the Warriors lost to a confident Kawhi Leonard. However, had the full roster been healthy, do you think the Warriors would’ve won? Durant certainly thinks they would have.
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