Dear Kevin Durant – A Letter to Durant

Dear Kevin Durant,

I don’t write you this letter from an angry place, I write this letter with the upmost disappointment. The NBA and its fans lost big time, because of what you did. I like you Kevin, in fact, I loved who you were. You let your basketball do all the talking, and for me, you are still in the top 3 players in the world. It comes with great sadness that I write this, because I never thought you would make the decision you just made.

I can’t imagine what Russell Westbrook is feeling right now. Again, one of my favorite players in the league and my heart breaks for him. Everything you guys have been through, you’ve thrown away. Just like that, you’ve thrown it away. You used to call him your brother, your partner, your killer in crime, and now you’ve driven off, leaving him in the rear view mirror with no where to go. I remember when you won your MVP in 2013, and you stood on that stage with tears in your eyes, looking right at Russell and said you loved him, that he would run through a wall for you. He watched you hold up that trophy when he could have been easily holding it up at that moment instead. But he was happy for you, that moment really resinated with me. But now, for what. Did you forget those moments? Did you forget when you couldn’t possibly give any more he would pick you up? As much as people want to diss Westbrook, he allowed you to be you. At any other franchise, if he really wanted to, that guy could be THE man, and tell the organization that he is going to be the man and make sure it’s that way. But he didn’t, not for you, Kevin. He wanted you to be great, and he wanted to be great with you. He sacrificed a large chunk of his prime, to share a locker room with you, to walk into the gym and see you there.

A lot of NBA fans may think this is similar to the Miami Heat situation of 2010, but it’s really not Kevin. You see, Miami formed a Big 3, but it wasn’t even remotely close to the greatest team of all time. The Miami Heat hadn’t just won a championship a year ago. The Miami Heat weren’t the greatest regular season team of all time. The Miami Heat didn’t hold a 2 time MVP. The Miami Heat didn’t have possibly the 2 greatest shooters ever. The Miami Heat didn’t have the coach of the year. The Miami Heat didn’t create a big 5 essentially, like the Warriors have just chosen to do. And no Kevin, It’s not the same as what LeBron did. The difference between you and LeBron is this, LeBron had to suffer. LeBron had to suffer for 7 of his 13 NBA seasons as year after year, he would watch the Cavaliers organization surround him with absolute garbage, expecting him to take them places, and crazy enough, he actually did. You didn’t have that in Oklahoma. The Thunder were willing to do ANYTHING and everything to keep you and build a championship roster around you, but you still turned your back. You were playing with a top 5 player and arguably the best point guard in the league, and you still turned around and walked the other way.

I can’t speak for Oklahoma City Thunder fans, but I imagine they are absolutely heartbroken. They never thought you’d do this, they never thought you’d break them like this. Now, after your decision, the Thunder fans may see Westbrook walk out the door right in front of them as well, did they deserve that? Did you not kiss your jersey in front of them? Look them dead in the eyes and tell them you loved them?

Kevin, you may think it’s ok, but it’s not. You’ve now created a super power in the NBA that has shifted the balance of power to a degree which might not reverse for a long time. I don’t have a problem with you leaving, but I do have a problem with who you left to. This is a team that literally stopped you from getting to an NBA Finals a month or so ago. What goes through your mind to join them, instead of finishing what you started and knocking them off? You didn’t see Kobe join the Celtics, or Jordan join the “Bad Boy” Pistons, or LeBron join the Celtics, Magic or Pistons when they stopped him from getting to a Finals. No, he took a risk, and he joined Miami to take down those very same Celtics that caused him pain year after year. They didn’t do it, why are you? If you can’t beat them, join them….right? Wrong. Even if you do win multiple championships with this team, I’m not sure how much weight it holds. I’m not sure this move helps your career like you anticipated it would.

I’m not really sure what else I have to say, but I’m writing this with great sadness. I don’t hate you Kevin, but the world might. I’m not sure if you wanted to be that guy, but now you are. I’m still in shock, and in truth, I’m not really sure how I feel.

One thing I do know, however, I can never look at you the same way ever again…