“Players That Played Like Me”: Kevin Durant Reveals What Made Him Join Golden State Warriors

The bond between Oklahoma City Thunder and Kevin Durant, unfortunately, ended in 2016. By that time, KD had spent nine years in OKC, won four scoring titles, and picked up the league MVP award in 2014. Durant was a city hero who developed a powerful bond with the fans. Despite receiving so much love at OKC, what made KD pursue a move that rocked the NBA?

The Thunder of the early 2010s was special. All the present superstars resided in one team- young, but masters of the game already. Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka made a trip to the 2012 NBA finals where they valiantly lost against Miami Heat.

A young and talented team slowly saw a few of their assets moving away to other franchises. Serge Ibaka and Durant moved to different teams in the summer of 2016. Their departure left behind only Russell Westbrook as the remaining gem from the exceptional team.

Kevin Durant joining the Warriors only made the team stronger. They were already riding on the back of registering the best regular season in NBA history. So obviously, the ‘Slim Reaper’ joining Steph Curry and Klay Thompson in the Bay Area is a championship beckoning. 

However, what made KD leave the Thunder and switch teams? In a recent appearance on ‘The Corp with A-Rod and Big Cat,’ he opened up about what pushed him to join the Golden State Warriors. 

“Wanted to be around more players that played like me” – Kevin Durant 

When former MLB star Alex Rodriguez sought the reason from KD, he subtly answered the question of why he chose Golden State! 

“I felt in OKC, we had a lot of athletes on the floor and I was one of the main guys that was accounted for to be a skilled player which is make threes…create plays. I wanted to be around more players that played like me,” Durant explained. 

“You know, in Golden State, you had Steph Curry who could shoot. You had Klay Thompson who can shoot and make plays. Andre Iguodala, who was a do-everything forward and Draymond Green as well,” he added.

“Our talents meshed together, and I felt like my game was going to take the next step if I was playing around some players like that.”

Looking deep into what KD meant with his statement is a discussion for another day. But obviously, he chose the Warriors out of any other team, owing to the versatility and strength of their roster.