Lacob Relives Day Durant Picked Warriors: ‘I Remember Every Moment'

In the early morning hours of last July 4, Warriors CEO Joe Lacob was at his vacation home in Montana. He was anxious. He was waiting for family members to join him. He also was waiting for the signal to leave.

He was ready to go back to New York, because that might be what it took to secure by far the biggest acquisition in his six-year tenure with the team.

At stake was whether Kevin Durant would choose to join the Warriors.

“I had the pilots ready to go, ready to go that morning because I thought we were going to have to go back to New York maybe to see him again,” Lacob recalled Monday. “They were waiting at the airport. And I was supposed to get the call that morning.

“And it didn’t come. And an hour went by.”

This was the morning the answer would come. Or so Durant had said. So far . . . nothing. Lacob paced and fidgeted and waited. He squeezed his phone. The clock was ticking. He phoned Warriors general manager Bob Myers.

“What’s going on?” Lacob asked, perplexed by the delay. “Is this bad or good that it’s taking longer?”

[RELATED: Lacob's message to owners on Durant: 'Sorry, we got him']

Lacob knew that Durant could return to the Oklahoma City Thunder, which could offer the biggest contract. He also knew several other teams – the Celtics, the Clippers, the Heat and the Spurs – were competing with the Warriors and Thunder.

“I remember every moment,” Lacob said. “That’s one of these moments in life when it’s all or nothing. It’s like you’re sitting at a card table and you’re playing cards and you know you’ve got to get the card or you’re out.

“We had worked and planned for a long time, like everyone else, to go after this guy. He’s a phenomenal talent.”

Lacob was helpless, powerless. Durant was at the controls, and he had numerous attractive options.

At about 9:20 Mountain Time, after what seemed like the longest morning ever, Lacob’s phone went off.

“I remember getting the call and I was stunned,” he said. “Because it was 50-50, I wasn’t really thinking one way or the other. I didn’t know what to think. I thought it could go either way. I really did.

“I think in my heart of hearts, I thought he was coming. But it’s very hard when you’re right at that moment. On the precipice, it’s hard to think anything. You’re just waiting for the answer.”

Durant chose the Warriors. The jet could go back into the hangar. The pilots could go home. Lacob could stay at the vacation home, and do what happy people do.

“It was just a big party,” he said. “It was July 4th – one of the greatest July 4ths – the best fireworks display I’ve ever seen.”

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