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via Reuters

via Reuters

Man of the hour, Kevin Durant, shared his global spotlight with Stephen Curry. The 35-year-old superstar re-ignited the Team USA fans with his comeback, showcasing a pitch-perfect performance against Serbia. Following the game, KD shared a word or two, connecting the road back to 2016 when the Baby-faced Assassin won many hearts with a wholesome quality and continues to do so. We all know that their linkup dates back a few years, and as we smile remembering it, Kevin thinks about those “good times” too.

The Slim Reaper, after missing out on all five exhibition games, made the much-awaited return on the Olympics opener against Serbia joining forces with LeBron James and Stephen Curry, completing the Dream Team 2.0 trio. Steve Kerr managed to keep the superstar’s return like an air-tight secret. KD clocked with around two minutes left in the first quarter and nailed his first three-pointer in the 17th second. Following that, there was no stopping. He finished the game with a near-perfect 8/9 FG, scoring 23 points.

During the game, everyone could witness the oozing camaraderie between Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry. And the 2x MVP didn’t shy away from addressing it after his thunderous performance. KD, speaking to AndScapes’ Marc J. Spears said“We definitely, definitely, definitely did talk about some good times that we had together. (Curry is) just an incredible human being. (I’m) Getting to spend some time with him on a deeper level. I’m looking forward to getting to know these dudes on a deeper level already.” 

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While Durant declared that he wanted to know his teammates on a “deeper level”, Steph already has a head start in that aspect. It’s because of their partnership in the Dub Nation. KD signed up with the Warriors in 2016, making it the most controversial trade of the decade. However, it didn’t matter to the Slim Reaper as he helped the side win two back-to-back championships. Importantly, those Championships were ultimately partly possible because of Steph’s actions. Do you remember the text message that he sent KD?

Steph Curry knew in advance about how to be in an “environment” with someone as big as Kevin Durant!

Kevin Durant described Curry as “an incredible human being” and reflected on the good times they had together in the Bay Area. These words mean nothing but highlight Steph’s selfless nature. And, it dates back to 2016, and the text message he sent to KD, eventually played a part in recruiting him. Throughout the Splash Brother’s NBA career, fans raise concerns over his missed opportunities to win two Finals MVPs. Even though he won one for himself after the 2022 Finals, it was considered long overdue.

via Getty

However, these things didn’t matter to Steph as he revealed his intentions plain and simple ahead of the KD trade. Last year, Stephen Curry sat down with former Dubs GM Bob Myers and spoke about that message he sent to KD. He said, “I know how I can operate in that environment with somebody as great of a basketball player as he is, all the off-court platform, selling shoes and all that other stuff. That all mattered.”

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What’s your perspective on:

Is Curry's unselfishness the secret sauce behind the Warriors' success with Durant?

Have an interesting take?

He further added, “And nobody was really going to threaten that part. It was just like, ‘Is this going to help us win, and am I going to enjoy playing basketball with him? Hell yeah.’ So [I was] trying to explain all of that to him at that moment.” Rightfully so, Steph’s selfless nature helped them win two back-to-back rings in three Finals. Can they replace similar success and win Team USA’s fifth consecutive Gold? Let us know in the comments.

Before you go, do not forget to check out EssentiallySports’ latest exclusive, featuring bg12 x Silas Demary Jr. Keep checking this space for more such updates.

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