Why Kevin Durant Believes He Never Fit in Like His Warriors Teammates

Kevin Durant left the Warriors this past offseason for the Nets with two championship rings to his name and two NBA Finals MVP awards. 

That doesn't even include three more All-Star Game appearances or three more times being voted to the All-NBA team. He came with a bag of accolades and left with a room full of them. 

But in KD's mind, how much of a Warrior was he ever? 

Durant told the Wall Street Journal's J.R. Moehringer that he came to the Warriors in the summer of 2016 wanting to be part of a family and felt accepted right away. Outside noise, however, made him feel otherwise. 

"But I'll never be one of those guys," Durant said. "I didn't get drafted there ... Steph Curry, obviously drafted there. Andre Iguodala, won the first Finals, first championship. Klay Thompson, drafted there. Draymond Green, drafted there. And the rest of the guys kind of rehabilitated their careers there. 

"So me? S--t, how you going to rehabilitate me? How can you alter anything in my basketball life? I got an MVP already. I got scoring titles." 

There are many layers to the this quote. Let's peel the onion back and start at the top. 

Durant always knew Warriors fans forever would adore Curry, Iguodala, Thompson and Green. They changed the landscape of the franchise, and perhaps no other athlete has ever captivated the Bay Area like Curry has. Durant knew what he was getting into. 

These also are the four players that came to the Hamptons when Durant was a free agent to help recruit him to the Warriors. They always wanted him to feel a part of the team. And aside from an on-court argument with Green, all signs point to each player doing their part in that. 

Now for Part 2 of the quote. If Durant wasn't trying to alter anything in his basketball life, then why did he come to the Warriors? Did he just want to get away and live in the Bay Area for a few years? 

[RELATED: KD believes Warriors hit their ceiling in Kerr's offense]

Durant became a champion with the Warriors. He also turned into a more complete basketball player, no matter what he has to say about Steve Kerr's offense. His basketball life was altered, in all the right ways. 

It's refreshing whenever an athlete lets down their guard and completely opens up. In this case, honesty is both appreciated and a bit baffling.

Copyright CSNBY - CSN BAY
Contact Us