On the day Durant announced that he would be leaving the Golden State Warriors and headed to the Brooklyn Nets — Stephen Curry had boarded a plane and flew straight from Shanghai, China to New York to meet with KD.
Curry’s intention was to talk Durant into staying with the franchise and continue their pursuit of multiple titles, according to the latest episode of The Bill Simmons Podcast.
“The Warriors still feel like they have a puncher’s chance to get him,” Simmons said, “enough that Curry is going to fly back from Shanghai to New York and land on Sunday night, right after free agency starts, and he has this determined time with KD to just talk with him and put a bow on everything. “Either, ‘Hey man, here’s how we feel about you,’ and convince him to stay, and if Durant’s not gonna stay they’ll talk about that.”
Curry never got that opportunity as Durant made his decision before Curry even landed.
“About an hour before the plane lands, all of a sudden it’s KD is gonna be announcing on his Instagram that night, all this stuff and Curry’s like, ‘What’s going on?’” Simmons continued. “And then it gets announced he’s signing with Brooklyn. Curry’s plane hasn’t landed yet. He lands and decides to do the dignified thing and he goes to meet KD anyway, basically to say goodbye to him.”
The Warriors were not happy about that.
“But, from what I’ve heard, the Warriors took that personally.”
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First Take’s Stephen A. Smith claims Durant was not a fan of coach Steve Kerr, so his decision could’ve been made before the season ended.
“Kevin Durant did not have the greatest relationship with Steve Kerr,” Smith disclosed. “He wasn’t too fond of Steve Kerr at all. I don’t know the particulars, but I do know that.”
Despite all the hoopla, the Warriors said that they will retire KD’s No. 35 jersey.
