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ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith was characteristically fiery when asked how he views Kevin Durant’s decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors. Smith wastes no time telling us how he really feels (shocking, I know): “Well, I’m viewing it as the weakest move I’ve ever seen from a superstar.”
Don't give a damn what anyone says: weak move by KD. You go to GSW, the team who beat you, when you're already on a title contender? Please!
— Stephen A Smith (@stephenasmith) July 4, 2016
Smith goes on to say that he doesn’t fault Durant for leaving the Thunder, and that there’s nothing wrong with wanting to grow as a player. But he thinks there’s a key difference here between Durant’s leaving and any other player on any other team wanting to stretch his wings (or massive wingspan, as the case may be). And that’s that Durant came so close to making the NBA Finals with Oklahoma City, and decided to go join the team that beat him.
“I think it’s incredibly weak,” Smith says. “I don’t want to hear any comparison to that of LeBron.”
Why? Because Smith thinks that LeBron’s cast of supporting characters when he left Cleveland for Miami was far weaker than the great players — Russell Westbrook, Steven Adams — that Durant’s played alongside.
Smith ends his tirade with this:
“Kevin Durant is one of the top three players in the world. And he ran away from the challenge that he faces in order to jump on the bandwagon of a team that’s a little bit better.”
In other news, wasn’t it nice of America to give us a day off in honor of Kevin Durant’s decision?
Kevin Durant from Oklahoma City Thunder to Golden State Warriors via free agency.
Forward Al Horford from Atlanta Hawks to Boston Celtics via free agency (four years, $113 million)
Center Dwight Howard from Houston Rockets to Atlanta Hawks via free agency (three years, $70.5 million)
Guard Derrick Rose traded from Chicago Bulls to New York Knicks.
Guard Rajon Rondo from Sacramento Kings to Chicago Bulls via free agency (two years, $30 million)
Center Joakim Noah from Chicago Bulls to New York Knicks via free agency (four years, $72 million).
Center Bismack Biyombo from Toronto Raptors to Orlando Magic via free agency (four years, $72 million)
Center Al Jefferson from Charlotte Hornets to Indiana Pacers via free agency (three years, $30 million).
Guard Joe Johnson from Miami Heat to Utah Jazz via free agency (two years, $22 million)
Forward Chandler Parsons from Dallas Mavericks to Memphis Grizzlies via free agency (four years, $94.8 million)
Forward Luol Deng from Miami Heat to Los Angeles Lakers via free agency (four years, $72 million)
Forward Ryan Anderson from New Orleans Pelicans to Houston Rockets via free agency (four years, $80 million)
Guard Jeremy Lin from Charlotte Hornets to Brooklyn Nets via free agency (three years, $36 million).
Guard Eric Gordon from New Orleans Pelicans to Houston Rockets via free agency (four years, $53 million)
Guard Evan Turner from Boston Celtics to Portland Trail Blazers via free agency (four years, $70 million).
Center Timofey Mozgov from Cleveland Cavaliers to Los Angeles Lakers via free agency (four years, $64 million).
Small forward Jeff Green from Los Angeles Clippers to Orlando Magic via free agency (one year, $15 million).
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