“Back-to-Back” is what most of the Warriors hoopers and their fans yelled while celebrating their second straight title in 2018. From 2016 to 19, the Warriors became practically unstoppable with the addition of Kevin Durant. It was after the Dubs unexpectedly fell to the Cavs in the Finals that the Slim Reaper decided to jump boats and play alongside the Splash Brothers. And what was the result? KD added two rings to his resume while just falling short of a third one. Regardless, Durant and Steph didn’t magically adjust initially.

Both come from MVP-like backgrounds, so it was somewhat inevitable to face problems. In the end, it all came down to Stephen Curry, diminishing his role in a way. And it wasn’t till the duo’s first festive-season game together, which was 172 days after KD joined. Their ex-teammate in the Bay Area, Shaun Livingston, gave insights on how the sharpshooter and Kevin Durant figured out the way to become unstoppable. “It was hard for Steph cause it was an adjustment. He didn’t make the adjustment until Christmas game!”

“After that Christmas game, I think, you know, there was an internal conversation amongst them two, which it had to be. Like, look, ‘I need you to be Steph Curry’. And once Steph was like, ‘Alright, you know, KD good, he’s good with us’. It was like unstoppable from there.”, Livingston said on Knuckleheads.

In the same game, Kevin Durant put up 36 points, 15 rebounds, and 3 assists while shooting over 47% from the field. Whereas Steph had 15 points for the night, making 4 of his 11 shots. Yes, at this point, the two seriously had to gel together. Well, the two quite literally figured out a way to become unstoppable, but still, it required Steph to take a step back and let KD become the protagonist.

Curry didn’t seem to have any problem letting Durant have the ball most of the time. However, the stats might surprise you.

In the three seasons playing alongside KD, Steph averaged 26.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 6 assists while shooting over 42% from three. And on the other hand, the Slim Reaper put up 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists.

It is safe to say that even though the Splash Brother was ready to give up some of the ball time for Kevin Durant, he still managed to impact the game as much as he was used to. Regardless, KD’s time in the Bay was much deeper than fans might believe it to be.

Kevin Durant had no plans to leave the Warriors

The Warriors fans are well aware of Green and Durant’s altercation while playing against the Clippers during the 2018-19 season. Many believe that this very argument was the reason why KD left the Warriors. There is some truth in that statement, but then again, the Bay Area did everything in its power to keep the Slim Reaper from leaving. During the 2019 Finals, the squad wore warmup gear with Kevin’s number on the back. It just showed how much he meant to the organization and how special this team was.

Would they have won multiple championships if KD had not left the Bay? For the most part, yes, the front office was only looking to add All-Star caliber players alongside the core of the team. Kevin Durant didn’t have any initial plans to leave the Dubs. But the Slim Reaper wanted to test his talents for a different team, which led to him joining the Nets.

Even Wanda, KD’s mum, feels the same way. “I didn’t really want him to go either … man, we would have had 20 rings by now,” she told Sonya, Steph’s mother. “We would have had 20 rings by now and it was about [eight] years ago. That’s how cold they were.”

Kevin Durant was one of the most crucial players in the league during his time with the Warriors. The super-team was indeed a problem for any opposition, as the Warriors dynasty was expected to last even longer.

Nevertheless, they did go on to win another title without KD in 2022, which solidified their stature. The Golden State Warriors and Steve Kerr have come a long way since then and at this point, they’ve almost hit rock bottom. After losing Klay Thompson, Jordan Poole, and other useful assets in the last few windows, the squad is definitely in trouble going into the next season.

What are your thoughts on the current roster of the Dubs? Do you think they would have won a few more Championships if KD never left? Let us know in the comments.

Feel that you can do with another update from the sport of basketball? Then do check out this recent interview with the up-and-coming Georgia Lady Bulldogs star Asia Avinger.