May 20, 2025 • 44 mins
Israel dives deep into the drama surrounding Kevin Durant's decision to join the Warriors after the 2016 season with new insights from Anthony Slater and Rachel Nichols. Zaza Pachulia and JaValle McGee talk about how they joined Golden State, and what made them love the Warriors culture. Plus, Steve Kerr remembers what it was like to see both Steph Curry and Kevin Durant together in practice and games.
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
Dubbed Dynasty as a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Good vision was always in my repertoire, my repertoire, my repertoire,
my repertoire.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
The internet was so worldwide.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
You congratulations, missus Principessa.
Speaker 5 (00:33):
I love seeing those engagements here.
Speaker 6 (00:34):
That's always special.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
I'm tired, Jared, I want to go eat a sandwich
and this will be in the past.
Speaker 7 (00:42):
I could call me tail.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I don't know if I was born for it, but
I definitely worked my butt off to get to this point.
And I mean, I guess you could say I was
born for it. I might go see the swamps or something.
I'm trying to catch an alligator.
Speaker 8 (00:58):
I don't know, man, I'm not gonna lack a lot.
Speaker 6 (01:05):
I just blanked out ball.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
To see it in real time.
Speaker 8 (01:10):
Oh it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
That was a collection of quirk from none other than
Clay Thompson, the far more eccentric half of the Splash Brothers.
I'm Israel Gutierrez and this is dubb Dynasty. Clay's is
a unique NBA existence. His jump shot is one to envy,
not just for casuals, but even for NBA greats. But
(01:36):
it's the second most discussed jump shot on his own
Warriors team. He's considered one of the best two way
players of his time because his defensive efforts often matched
or surpassed his offensive output, but he'd make just one
NBA All Defensive Second Team in his Golden State tenure.
He's largely considered to have been snugged left off the
(01:58):
NBA's Greatest seventy five Players of All Time list, Yet
he was also fortunate to have played alongside teammates who'd
be considered possibly top ten all time, rarely requiring him
to carry his team for extended stretches.
Speaker 6 (02:13):
If I could do it all over again, I would
be Clay. I mean that I want to be Clay.
He's got it figured out, just wants to play hoop
and have fun and play with his dog. The most
low maintenance guy on Earth.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
And while he has saved his Warriors team at times
and put together some of the more impressive scoring performances
basketball has ever seen, Clay has always been arguably the
greatest luxury there's ever been in the NBA. He's the
second yacht that rarely makes it out of the marine.
He's the Rolls Royce Phantom that only rolls out of
(02:50):
the garage when family visits. He's a game six. Savor
a postgame interview, Jim, He's sixty points in three quarters.
More on that momentary. But when Clay Thompson wasn't even
through a championship and another run to the finals was enough,
(03:21):
last week left you. The Warriors were still experiencing the
rebound effect of losing a three to one lead in
the finals to Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. It
was as much as it could be for a team
that had just set their regular season winsmark a moment
of international embarrassment. As a result, the Warriors would attempt
(03:41):
to woo the biggest free agent available, Kevin Durant, and
so far, through a series of sales pitches in the
high Faluton Hamptons, the Warriors had at least contributed to
the possibility of Durant changing teams. Durant possibly going to
Golden State was a topic on ESPN's The Jail with
(04:04):
Rachel Nichols, Zach Lowe and Tracy McGrady.
Speaker 9 (04:08):
I think he's talented enough to bet on a team
to win a championship, to carry our team to a championship.
That's the type of talent that he has. Go team
up with Chris Paul and Los Angeles, Go team up
with you know, Melo and New York.
Speaker 10 (04:23):
So I go somewhere where at no.
Speaker 8 (04:25):
You team up here, but don't team up there, team
up in some places.
Speaker 9 (04:27):
And I go to say, team up with a team
that hasn't won a championship. I mean that will be
more gratifying for filling.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
And On our nation's Independence Day twenty sixteen, Durant announced
via The Player's Tribune in an article titled My Next Chapter,
that he would sign with the Warriors. The article featured
a photo of Durant in a white sleeveless T shirt
looking off to the right at nothing in particular. It's
an image and headline combo that still gets the mean
(04:57):
treatment to this day. In the article, Durant announced his
decision to join the Warriors given the level of hatred
spewed at Lebron James after he chose to leave his
first organization in free agency in twenty ten. Durant made
sure to mention his appreciation for the Thunder organization and
its fans. Durant wrote, quote, it really pains me to
(05:20):
know that I will disappoint so many people with this choice,
but I believe I'm doing what I feel is the
right thing at this point in my life and my
playing career. It wasn't just thunder fans would feel disappointment.
Fans of competition would also the idea that a team
that just set the all time wins record for a
single season and was just one more win away from
(05:42):
also winning the championship just added a player who might
be better than anyone else on the roster. It just
didn't sit well in the eyes of many. In twenty ten,
after Lebron signed with the Heat, Jeff Van Gundy predicted
that Heat team that also had Dwayne Wade and Chris
Bosch would break the wins record. The Warriors had already
(06:05):
done that and now added an MVP in his absolute pride.
The immediate backlash was so strong it felt as if
Durant was getting attached from all angles, not just his
former teammates.
Speaker 10 (06:19):
Team and a the news again coming in moments ago,
Kevin Durant heading two the Golden State Warriors.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
How are you viewing this move from Durant?
Speaker 11 (06:28):
Well, I'm viewing it as the weakest move I've ever
seen from a superstar playing as simple.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
That's just how I look at it.
Speaker 11 (06:33):
It's not that he's leaving Oklahoma City. If you're not happy,
then you want to move on and you want to
grow as a player, or you know, there's nothing wrong
with that. He's one of the top three players in
the world. He's a quit essential superstar. He deserves all
the credits in the world, but the talent that he possesses.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
But the flip side is this.
Speaker 11 (06:49):
They were up three to one in the Western Conference finals,
not one, not two, but three different times. He was
forty eight minutes removed from getting to the NBA Finals
by winning the Western Conference three times. He failed, particularly
in Game six. And you depart for the team that
beat you when you're on the cusp of getting to
the finals yourself ultimately winning the championship with a franchise
(07:10):
that you've been with since you've come into the NBA,
I think it's incredibly weak.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
His most famous teammate, Russell Westbrook, did post a response
on Instagram that would consolidate the nation's thoughts on Durant
into one sweet, patriotic image. Westbrook posted an image of
cupcakes decorated for the holiday with the caption Happy Fourth y'all.
It turns out another former Durant teammate, Kendrick Perkins, used
(07:38):
to call teammates cupcakes if they were playing soft. The
cupcake response from Westbrook would be the one Thunder fans
would cling to. From the outside looking in, it was
easy to pick sides here. Westbrook was the teammate left
behind as Durant left to join the big bad favorites.
Even Slater felt the venom from the Thunder fans after
(08:00):
he left the Oklahoma to cover the Warriors.
Speaker 12 (08:03):
So much of the Durant backlash felt like you're going
to the enemy, like the team that really, you know,
just kind of slayed you. I think there was a
lot of people at the time that really wanted to
see Thunder Warriors again the next year. Right, it was
like but it also I mean, people in the league
viewed it, and I guess you would say the same
about the Miami one. But people in the league viewed
(08:24):
it like, man, you just ruined the league for the
next four years. We know who's gonna win the title.
You're gonna be massive favors. In some ways, they were
kind of proven correct.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
At this point in our NBA experience, the media and
the public had already learned their lesson about critiquing a
player's free agency choice too vigorously. The hyperbolic reactions to
Lebron James leaving Cleveland for Miami taught us to calm
down a little bit when a player simply exerts his
own free will and chooses where he wants to work.
(08:53):
But there was something especially off put about Durant joining
the enemy that defeated him in the most recent playoffs.
Forget about an unfair talent advantage for the Warrior. Amateur
psychiatrists everywhere, we're trying to examine Durant's mentality. Why not
run it back and try to beat the Warriors after
being so close in the conference finals? Was Russell Westbrook
(09:15):
really that difficult to play with? What it really satisfied
Durant to win a title with this turnkey championship ready team.
Rachel Nichols has examined the Durant conversation from every angle.
Upon reflection, she believes Durant's decision isn't a shocking when
you look back at the circumstances.
Speaker 13 (09:35):
And we all acknowledge it now. And by the way,
I happen to like Russell Westbrook. I think he'said a
lot of community stuff people don't give him credit for.
And I also think the way that he uplifted that
Thunder team after Kevin left really reset the course of
the franchise and enabled what is happening now, because without
that belief he provided for them, I'm not sure that
they are what is this in our Year of Our
Lord twenty twenty four to twenty five the title contender.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
But he can wear on you, man, He can be
hard to play with.
Speaker 13 (10:02):
And also Kevin in a small market that wasn't maybe
naturally the sus from Texas, but maybe wasn't naturally aware
and who he saw himself at that stage of being
an adult year a lot different at that age seven
years into your career than you are when you first
came in. And by the way, he started in Seattle
and then they go to Oklahoma City and all of
that stuff, So I think his decision to leave Oklahoma
(10:23):
City is a little separate.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
There was one financial detail that allowed for this to
even be a conversation. After the NBA signed a new
television deal in twenty fourteen, the league was set to
experience a spike in revenue beginning in the twenty sixteen offseason,
setting up for the largest salary cap increase the league
had ever seen. There was an attempt by the league
to avoid the big spike and spread out the revenue
(10:50):
over multiple years so that more free agents benefit, not
just the twenty sixteen group. That attempt was rejected by
the players Association, setting up the possibility of Durant signing
with Golden State and setting up seemingly endless debate of
should Durant have even considered the Warriors.
Speaker 13 (11:09):
Here's Nicholas, I think he was ready to be somewhere fun.
Kevin Durant loves basketball. I think if you know Kevin
at all, if you followed his career at all, you
know he says a lot of the time, I just
want a hoop man. And it's easy to take that
is a cliche or casually it is the building block
of who he is. He will get out there with
a basketball and annette wherever he is, he wants to play.
(11:30):
He's most comfortable with himself and who he is on
the court. He just wants to play ball man. And
it's a little reductive but it's also true, and I
think the fact that this team was able to offer
him not only a chance at a title and a
ring and all the things the public focused on, but
the chance to have this sort of environment where basketball
was the main thing and it was supposed to be fun.
(11:52):
I think that was really appealing for him. On top
of oh yeah, I could finally win a title, Oh yeah,
I get to play with Steph, and the fact that
Steph behaved in a way that, frankly, we just haven't
seen modern superstar and any sport behave. Willing to say
to someone who maybe was in some ways, in some ways,
in some ways better than him in certain areas, to
(12:14):
come onto the team and be at the very least
a Coh headliner, I think was remarkable.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
This just didn't fit the story arc that we all projected.
After the phenomenal twenty sixteen playoffs, the thunder were supposed
to get another shot at the Warriors. Lebron was supposed
to have ended the Warriors run the same way he
stopped Eastern Conference teams from ever starting THEIRS. Teams like
the Rockets and Grizzlies were supposed to emerge as true
(12:43):
challengers o West, Durant's choice would eliminate all those as
possibilities and we would all have to accept the inevitable
Avengers endgame type finale that was to come. Despite the
cinematic setup, people hated on Durant for creating leading this
offensive genius to be on the defense from the start
(13:05):
of his time in Bothen State.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Nothing in this league is easy, and I know it's
going to be ups and down throughout a season.
Speaker 14 (13:11):
I know we expected to be perfect every single day,
but I know that's not realistic.
Speaker 13 (13:15):
I think the Warriors were so dominant throughout the twenty
sixteen season. I think the fact that Steph Curry felt
like a little bit unbreakable and unbeatable, and we just
as if you're a fan of any other team, you're thinking,
we just went through a decade of Lebron James doing
whatever he wanted. I mean, Lebron dismantled what three different
(13:36):
organizations in the Eastern Conference in the time that he
was in Cleveland. I mean, you look at the rise
and ball of the Boston Celtics at that time, or
the Pacers, or we could talk about the Bulls that
there's so many teams that the Rafters that he just destroyed,
and that the feeling among fans was, way, We're about
to go through this all over again, You're kidding me.
I think there was a little bit of that. I
(13:57):
think that this sort of radio talk show host narrative
of oh wow, you lost, so you're going to go
join the winner, and it spoke to this idea of
manliness in some way that caught a lot of fire
with a lot of people. I think was an ingredient
in all of that.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
The drama of the season had been removed by this decision,
so all the dramatics would be focused on Durant and
his free agency choice. The Warriors would also need to
adjust their roster to fit Durant. Goneweror Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogitt,
Maurice Spates, and Festus A. Zili In were veteran forward
David West, rookie Patrick mccau and big man Jajah Peculia.
(14:38):
The veteran center had just experienced his thirteen season in
the NBA, but before he was able to join the
star studded Warriors, Peculia was just like the rest of us,
wondering why Durant made the NBA, possibly the most top
heavy it had ever been.
Speaker 8 (14:56):
I can tell you how mad I was when Katie
signed with the Warriors, already amazing team. I lost to
the final in the finals to Clivement, already great team,
and guess what breaking breaking news, Katie signs, but I'm gonna.
I was so mad. I said, who is going to
beat them? I said, this is not fair. I mean
(15:18):
my wife, my kids said, Dad, why are you angry?
I said, it's not fair. It's not fair. I said,
what Katie just signed with? Like, because my mind is
like okay, because I was in Dallas. I just had
my career year in Dallas. I really bonded with Dirk
and you know Darren Williams and played for coach Carl.
I said it was great. I really liked it. But
I was free agent and I didn't care about free agency.
(15:39):
All I cared about, like why Warriors sign Kevin the
Red So two days later, so after being mad and disappointing,
frustrated for forty eight hours, my agents called me because
I was free agent, so and he goes Zaza. We've
been working together for a pretty good amount of time,
and I had a lot of offers for you during
(16:01):
your career, but nothing like this.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Peculia had offers from the Trailblazers, Mavericks and of course
the Warriors. Suddenly his complaint stopped.
Speaker 8 (16:13):
No brainer, that was a lifetime opportunity.
Speaker 9 (16:16):
You know, to.
Speaker 8 (16:18):
Forget about winning it first, like winning is a huge part,
but just to experience, I need to play with the guys.
So I just mentioned you know, Steph clay KD Drama
and the center spot was open. And but you know,
the like they were very open about, like, you know,
we want we looking at you as your number one
(16:40):
option for us to be a starting center. So I
was joking with my friends. Actually I never made an
All Star, but hey, there you go. I'm playing with
the all Stars. So four all stars, I say, and
right away I told him yes.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Filling out the roster around Durant, the Splash Brothers and
Draymond would seem like a relatively easy task, But remember
the center position had been held by Andrew Boget the
previous few years, a former number one overall pick with
defensive player of the year type of ability and a
selfless approach that fit right in. Replacing him wouldn't be
(17:22):
as easy as taking the first free agent center available.
Peculia's role would be critical, and he recognized that early
on as he was adjusting to Golden State's faster style
of play.
Speaker 8 (17:35):
I never played in this system before, so it was
quite adjustment. It took some time for me, a couple
of weeks, a couple of months to really keep out
with the pace, keep out with you know, the movements.
And you know he's not like you know you have
windows right, No, like jump ball back and forward, like
(17:55):
not only is north and south, also like east to west,
you know, so like ball should have been moving. You
could not hold the ball and understand, I mean, well
Staff needed a ball right where Clay like where Kad
needed the ball right. So all this smolding little things,
I think that's the differentiates good and great. And as
a starting center, I had to be good. I had
(18:17):
to be right on in point and I could have
messed it out.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
The Warriors thought they were done building the team around
the core of Curry, Clay, Draymond Durant and Iguadala, but
Agwadala suggested one of his former teammates also be brought
on board. JaVale McGhee was on the Mavericks the previous season,
just like Jajah Paculia, but he was teammates with Iguadala
on the Nuggets team that lost to the Warriors in
the twenty fourteen playoffs. Iguadala pushed the Warriors to give
(18:45):
the uber athletic seven foot McGee a chance. McGee would
give Golden State a lab option. They didn't quite have
a vertical threat in the half court and a big
man who runs the floor. Well, it was the first
time McGee teamed with Curry, but it wasn't the first
impression he had of Steph. That came when Steph debuted
one of his signature celebrations against McGee and the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 15 (19:11):
I mean, the only thing that really lingered was, I
believe a game against US Denver was the first time
he had done a shoot in the corner three and
turn around to look at the bench before it goes in.
So it was like a spark for his swag to
go up one hundred x. And I hate the fact
(19:31):
that we were a part of that, or I guess
I was a part of that.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Curry with the whisker tree getting in back three on
the way, Yes, Sir, turned around two. That was dirty.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
My goodness, this dude is ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Eight unanswered curry off a drive curry for three cats.
Speaker 16 (19:57):
God, Steph Curry from way downtown. There's step three pointer
of the night.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
And it wouldn't take long for this center with the
reputation of being somewhat goofy, to play a very serious
role with the loaded dumps.
Speaker 15 (20:12):
I feel like I realized that once I started realizing
how Draymond played and how he was more of a
pass first player but would always have the ball in
his hands. So I believe a couple of practices, a
couple of preseason games, I'm realizing, like, Okay, he's throwing
the live no matter what. So it was really helping
me just with my timing and with my role of knowing, Okay,
(20:35):
if he got the ball in his hand, be ready
for a live and just dunk the ball and get
back down the court and just focus on that because
they don't need you shooting breeze, and it needs you
posting enough, and it's a whole different type of team
or whatever we got going. You got to be great
at that certain roles so each person can do what
they have to do so that we win this championship.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
The team was complete, and all that was left in
the regular season was to acclimate Durant to his new
teammates and for his new teammates to effectively shield him
from the hatred that was to come. That would be
at its most intense when Durant played in Oklahoma City
(21:17):
for the first time as an opponent, but that wouldn't
happen until February. Until then, the team's concerns were minimal.
There was perhaps no better display of just how much
scoring talent was on this team than on December fifth,
twenty sixteen, in Oracle Arena. That's when Clay Thompson did
his best Will Chamberlain impression, scoring sixty points in just
(21:41):
twenty nine minutes and three seconds of playing time. It
was a game against the Indiana Pacers, who happened to
be starting old friend Monte Ellis opposite Thompson. Unlike the
game in which Thompson scored thirty seven points in the
third quarter, Clay was hot from the beginning of this one.
(22:12):
With so much attention paid to Curry and Durant, Thompson
scored an easy seventeen in the first court, all within
the flow of the offense, all without much If any
dribble can play.
Speaker 17 (22:23):
Himself twenty Thompson, your son, he's having a life. Play
want to get three quarter?
Speaker 3 (22:40):
The events has gone nuts twenty seven for twenty. I'm
twelve of sixteen.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Shooting midway through the second period, with the Warriors leading
fifty six to thirty nine, Thompson caught a pass from
Sean Livigson. While crossing the floor from left to right.
He turned over his left shoulder and shot a fading
three pointer that landed him in the front of his
own bench as the ball switched through the net.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Thirteen not the Warrior run Let's they figured to play
next time.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
That shot sent the Warrior's bench into a friends It
was a celebration just as jubilant as any of the
title celebrations. Steph Perry even left the bench momentarily darting
to the hallway leading to his locker room, unable to
contain his joy. This was based strictly on reaction, one
(23:43):
of the happiest moments of this entire Golden State run.
The Warriors were coasting and their third option offensively was
putting on a scoring display for the Ages. By halftime,
Clay had forty. His last three pointer of the half
didn't even draw much of a celebration, just three fingers
(24:05):
directed to the floor.
Speaker 9 (24:06):
And a bit of a meaning.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
And the first halt, and with twenty more points in
the third quarter, Thompson had sixty. He left the game
with one twenty two remaining in the third quarter and
the Warriors leading by thirty five place.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Ray light Top said, warners are having fun clad.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
For thy.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
Guy's gotta go up to sixty play quarter three sixty
sixty for play top set.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Had the Pacers managed to stay close, Clay would have
had a chance to reach Kobe's famed eighty one tote.
But fittingly, Golden State was just too done, And just
to show how much of a sixty point game can
truly be a team effort, Clay only needed eleven dribbles
for the entire game. I counted fourteen. But whatever, the
(25:26):
whole performance, save for one or two difficult shots, was
a display of just how well oiled this machine really was.
Here was Thompson after the game.
Speaker 8 (25:35):
With ros goold On Moude.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
It was fun. I was in a great rhythm, took
all good shots most part, still.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Miss a few while the threes or what she got back.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
But it was a fun night, say the least at halftime.
Speaker 6 (25:47):
You had forty points.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Usually at halftime people cool off. How were we able
to stay hot in the third quarters.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Not getting caught up and having forty just trying to
play every possession like it matters were Bay and.
Speaker 10 (25:59):
It did.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
I mean, we're trying to build great habits.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Since the turnover ratio tonight was phenomenal, we got to
keep that up.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
You had sixty and three quarters. What do you think
would have happened if you played in the fourth? Who knows? Hopeyah,
I don't know.
Speaker 9 (26:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
That's a great question.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
Who knows.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Thompson's personality, a laid back approach to life that includes
taking his boat to work as often as possible in
the Bay Area, was just what this pressure cooker of
a team needed. It wasn't just Curry's joyful demeanor that
set the tone for the Warriors. It was also Thompson's
lovable personality. At this point in the process, Captain Clay,
(26:40):
as he was nicknamed, wasn't affected by the extra attention.
Kareth Burke had been a Warrior's sideline reporter since twenty seventeen.
She recognized the benefit of Thompson's work life balance fairly earth.
Speaker 7 (26:56):
Who could you think of that would leave his house
in Tiberan. She would drive a boat to work, park
it at this marina and then ride his bike to
the arena like he would do Instagram lives. As he
was captaining his boat listening to Bob Barley Michael Jackson,
like he really liked the old Motown stuff especially, and yeah,
he's just out there.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
He was like, hey, guys, water's fine today.
Speaker 7 (27:19):
Like Clay was always himself, He never changed with the spotlight.
Clay was very fortunate that Steph commanded the attention and
that Kadi commanded the attention, because Clay is actually, especially
during those years, pretty shy. You could see it in
the way that he talked to media. He looked down
a lot, He stumbled a little bit. He always knew
(27:43):
what he wanted to say when it comes to talking pop.
But I think he just didn't like the glare of
the attention. As they kept winning championships, there was more
and more and more media and more demands on their time,
and I could see him retreating into himself a little bit. Yeah,
not everybody is a public speaker, and when it comes
(28:04):
to Clay, he's a very simple person, and I want
to make sure this does not come off as simpleton.
He is a very intelligent guy, but he likes three things, basketball,
his dog.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
And the water.
Speaker 15 (28:17):
Guys, that's it.
Speaker 7 (28:18):
It doesn't take a lot to make him feel fulfilled.
So he was really living this dream and then doing
his best to be incognito and left alone with his
dog out in the Oakland Hills.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Incognito was impossible, of course, for a player on this
highest of profile teams. In fact, the Warriors had become
so high profile after the Durant signing, just dealing with
the constant pressure of expectations was among the team's biggest challenges.
According to ja Jah Peculia, who was experiencing his first
(28:51):
year under this scorching spotlight, it took a conversation with
Steve Kirk for him to learn how to properly managed
overly eager fans in Meetia.
Speaker 8 (29:07):
So when I I'm with the Warriors, suddenly my following
go on to social media just just started increasing like crazy.
It's a good thing, but also there's some bad thing
came with it. Suddenly lots of negativity came. We were
winning games left and right, nothing was stopping us. We're
having good time, fun, smile, highlights, sports centers, top ten,
(29:31):
you know, maybe half of us us. You know, so
so many good things are happening. But like with the
increase of following, also there was an increase of the negativity.
You know, the comments and this and that. So I
couldn't share with this anymore. Right, so going home, I
would always thinking, I said, hold on, like it really
doesn't add up. I don't understand it. Like we playing well,
(29:53):
I fit perfectly. I think we're gonna be even better,
like you know, once we get into the middle of
the season, so you know, and by the playoffs and
you know, most likely we're gonna win the championship. We
stay healthy. I don't understand why so much negativity. So
one day, Coach Kirk calls me after the practice. Everything
was going just fine. But that's all Coach, I don't
(30:14):
understand why so much negativity around it. Like we're playing
good and I think I'm doing whatever you asked me
to do, Like you know, I'm pretty good with my role.
Everything is going fine. I don't understand why so much
negativity around and he goes, who is your head coach?
I said, you are? What about assistant coaches? I said, well,
(30:37):
Mike Brown, Ron Adams, you know, Q Jaron Collins stay around.
I mean, because there was up right after the practice,
so still a whole team and you know, the whole
staff was there. And he goes, how about your teammates?
I said, where are you trying to go with this?
I said, well, Steph is shooting half court shots clays
like making ten in a row, thro from three's, Draymond
(30:58):
is beating up someone over in the dgotic corner. Katie
is working on his mid moves.
Speaker 15 (31:04):
You know.
Speaker 8 (31:04):
I say, like this, that's how my teammates and he goes, exactly,
that's what matters the most, you know. So that was
such an important moment, you know, in my life. Driving
back home, I say, you know what, He's so right.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
It was Kerr's most challenging job keeping together a group
that had so many possible distractions, but on a team
this loaded, he had the added challenge of making sure
the stars were engaged on a nightly basis. Also, with
this established a winning formula, even Kevin Durant can fade
into the background on occasion in his first Warrior season,
(31:52):
Durant would often say as much that he was just hooping,
figuring out where he fits and occasionally picking his spots
to be a killer, like in the fifth game of
the season, his first again his old team, when he
had thirty nine seven three pointers.
Speaker 18 (32:07):
West books past foot off by prittolia. There's purry behind
a boy. Yes, they are all join us in an
Olklahoma center.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
It's putting up prick golf Ran pulls it off. He
is a quiet.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
That's ridiculous.
Speaker 8 (32:34):
Welcome the Golden Steak.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Or his second game against his former team, which happened
to be his best game of the season, when he
had forty twelve rebounds and three blocks.
Speaker 16 (32:45):
Durrect for three access fifth to the game and a
forty point outing season high for Kevin.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
D'lan book goose by the way, We're an Oak. It
was quite the contrast to the start of Lebron James's
tenure in Miami, when he infamously bumped into head coach
Eric Spolster early in the season and was tossing hints
that he wanted pat Riley back on the bench for
Steve Kerr. This was as close to basketball nirvana as
there could be, and he happened to be the director
(33:13):
of it all.
Speaker 5 (33:18):
So we would wrap up practice and I would go
to the side of the court and at one end
was Staff going through his routine. At the other end
was Kevin going through his routine. And you know, it's
like we're watching Mozart and Bach, you know, at the
exact same time composed music. He was stunning. These are
(33:41):
the guys who, you know, the most talented people in
the world at what they do and maybe of all time.
And I got to witness that day after day. So
I just admired Kevin's his work ethic, but how much
he would zen out within the work. You know, you
(34:02):
could see how much it meant to him, even if
he didn't talk about it a whole lot, who's a
pretty private guy. You could just see how much the
game meant to him. And it was It was beautiful.
It was mesmerizing to watching more.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
And by the time the Warriors did face the Thunder
and Durant's old stomping ground of Oklahoma City, the team
was forty five and eight and Durant had already experienced
the awkwardness of playing against his former teammates and coach.
The game began with the expected level of hatred, as
thunder fans wore t shirts with cupcakes on calling back
(34:37):
to Westbrook's post after Durant's free agency decision thirty five
Kevin Duran. Durant would effectively silence all of them, scoring
thirty four points on fifty seven percent shooting. The Warriors
(35:01):
won easily, one thirty one fourteen.
Speaker 16 (35:04):
Durant Way Downtown sign Kevin Durant drills a three pointer.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Westbrook did have forty seven points with eleven rebounds and
eight assists in what would be his MVP season and
his first averaging a triple double, but he also had
eleven turners. Durant talked with Lisa Salters after the game.
Speaker 19 (35:28):
Now, you said you thought that you were going to
get food, but actually hearing it, seeing the cupcake signs,
hearing the fans that used.
Speaker 10 (35:35):
To cheer you, What was that like for you?
Speaker 14 (35:37):
I actually go to a bit a little louder, But
you know it was fun. You know, I was on
the other side of it, you know, So to become
one of these guys now whenever Brewy.
Speaker 10 (35:46):
Was kind of fun.
Speaker 8 (35:46):
So, you know, I got ambrasing it.
Speaker 14 (35:48):
That's all I can do and keep playing my game,
and keep preparing away up a fair and enjoy every
game as well.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
So you know it was fun.
Speaker 14 (35:54):
Now, you and Russell seemed to exchange words.
Speaker 19 (35:57):
At one point you were had to haggard with Andrey
robertson what were your former team makes, saying to you,
I don't remember. So once again, none of the players
exchanged how MUDs or anything like that?
Speaker 14 (36:11):
Does that mean something to you at all?
Speaker 1 (36:13):
To this point, the projections were proving true. The Warriors
wouldn't face much resistance. How could there be any real
suffering if Durant and Curry were in uniform every game, well,
there was always friendly pile. When Jasha Paculia crashed into
(36:37):
Durant early in a February twenty eighth game in Washington,
d C. Near Durant's hometown, it would result in a
Grade two MCL sprain that kept Durant sidelines for more
than a month. He'd return with a few games remaining
in the regular season. In the nineteen games he missed,
the Warriors went fifteen to four, including a three game
losing streak and a thirteen game winning streak. The viewing
(37:00):
audience would take that Warrior's success without Durant has further
evidence that Golden State never needed him to begin with.
Durant also missed two games in the warriors first round
sweep of the Portland Trailblazers. Curry averaged thirty in that series,
including forty two percent from three point range. The Warriors
won by an average of eighteen points in that seek a.
Speaker 18 (37:21):
Waller the Blazers one twelve O three.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Golden State with the four games close out.
Speaker 18 (37:32):
Over the Portland Trailblazers.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
In the next round, with a healthy squad, the Warriors
swept Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
The Golden State Warriors, I've swept the Utah Jazz.
Speaker 8 (37:45):
Another great round.
Speaker 14 (37:46):
Everybody contributive what we do and looking forward to what's
a compace spot.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
This is probably as good a time as any to
mention the Warriors were doing most of this without Steve
Kerr on the sideline. The complications from his back surgery
so bad Kerr missed eleven playoff games, with Mike Brown
serving as acting head coach. JaVale McGee said Kerr's absence,
which lasted until Game two of the NBA Finals was
(38:15):
a clear source of motivation.
Speaker 15 (38:17):
It was definitely sad to seeing him in pain and
not being able to do what he loved with his coach.
He definitely gave us some inspiration though, knowing that he's
out here fighting real life things as in back pain
and if anybody knows back paint, No, Joe, I don't
care if it's serve you back pain or you've been
golfing for eighteen holes back man.
Speaker 8 (38:38):
Back pain was old Joe.
Speaker 15 (38:39):
So the fact that he had to sit out that
really pushed us to Okay, we to this receivee just
in case he didn't come back, just because he's been
leading us this whole time and going through where he's
going through, but not letting that way for him from
being a great coach.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Waiting for Mike Brown and the Warriors in the Conference
finals was a San Antonio Spurs team that looked quite
different than it did the last time these two teams
met postseason. Gone was Tim Duncan. Unavailable was Tony Parker,
who'd gotten hurt in the previous series. Still, the Spurs
were riding big brother vibes when it came to the Warriors.
(39:15):
They were the last Western Conference team Golden State lost
to in the postseason. They even blew out the Warriors
in Kd's Golden State debut to start the year. They'd
replaced Duncan with LaMarcus Aldridge, who'd come over as a
free agent from Portland, and Kawhi Leonard had fully developed
into a superstar, coming off two consecutive Defensive Player of
(39:36):
the Year awards and finishing second to Steph Curry an
MVP voting in twenty sixteen. Danny Green was on the
Spurs for the twenty thirteen playoff series and would face
Golden State three more times in the playoffs before his
career ended. Green said those revamped Spurs didn't view the
Warriors the way the rest of the league did.
Speaker 10 (39:57):
I'll approached Pop always keep kidding and just me being young,
being competitive. It didn't matter who was where. We always
they were vulnerable or they had vulnerable spots, and nobody
was invincible to us. You know, Pop was like, I
don't see Michael out there. I don't see Larry and
Robert part you know, I don't see you know that team.
Those they're good, but they're not These guys Boston back
into the Lakers back in the day, He's like, or
(40:19):
Michael Jordan was Chicago Bulls, They're not that good, So
we was put it in our minds like they're beautiful.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
To this point in the postseason, the Warriors hadn't lost
a game. No team in NBA history has gone undefeated
throughout a championship. Golden State had a real opportunity to
be the first, or at least that was the discussion
around this group that had won all but one of
its first eight playoff games by double figures. The Spurs
(40:45):
weren't trying to hear any of them. It's behind a
dominant Kawhi Leonard. San Antonio led Game one by as
many as twenty three points in the third quarter. The
Warriors shot just thirty four percent in the first half,
and Leonard looked like the best player on the floor.
Speaker 16 (41:01):
Curry comes up with the steel, crows it, Leonard with
the ball, drives and finishes.
Speaker 6 (41:08):
Leonard gets away.
Speaker 16 (41:09):
Drives eight side and finishes again. Leonard fake screen, goes
fort Leonard drives, look up, oh, he floats to the
rim using the left hand.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
If we were to pause time and examine the NBA
at this very moment, Kawhi Leonard could actually stake the
claim as the best player in the league. He had
already won a Finals MVP in his third year, largely
because of defense he played against Lebron James. He'd been
given the reins to the Spurs and had led this
team to sixty one wins. Leonard was the perfect foil
(41:43):
for these Warriors, given that he could defend anyone on
Gordon State, but was also becoming an efficient offensive threat.
In essence, Kawhi was just as devastating as Lebron had
been the previous two finals, and in the opener of
the Western Conference Finals, Leonard was giving the Warriors PTSD.
Danny Green had beaten the Warriors in the playoffs before
(42:07):
he knew that team was questioning itself, maybe for the
first time since coming together.
Speaker 10 (42:13):
We were hooping first half, who were killing LaMarcus was
playing well, like there's some games like we weren't sure
how well he's gonna be offensively, defensively, like if.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
He's gonna get rhythm.
Speaker 10 (42:21):
He's trying to find his rhythm, and him and Kawhi
were trying to figure it out. He was bawlin him
and Kawhi were in attend I'm going to like two
man game was working well and they were in good rhythm.
I didn't wasn't scoring a bunch, but I hit two
shot like we were up good at half. It was
like okay.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
You could see it in their face.
Speaker 10 (42:35):
You could see it in Katie's face, like damn, I
came here and I don't know if this is gonna
work out the way I expected it to.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
Adding to the sense of satisfaction coursing through the Spurs
was the fact that San Antonio was one of those
teams in the Hamptons trying to court Kevin Durant. Had
Durant chose to sign with the Spurs, players like Danny
Green would have to be moved to make room. Green
was told as much during the previous offseason, so throwing
a Kawhi Leonard sized wrench to the Warriors plans was
(43:05):
quite satisfying for Green and a few of his first teammates.
Speaker 10 (43:09):
We had David West the year before and I think
he just left him got to go State the year after,
so he went from us to them, and this is
the year he was there and Katie were there and
we could see the face like, Yo, this might be
this might be it for reality, and he's like, damn,
I can't believe. I can't you know, like damn, I
came here and I'm about to get my.
Speaker 8 (43:23):
Ass busting.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
On the next dumb dynastic.
Speaker 8 (43:33):
He was playing. May I don't even mind. I hear
that we bet and cool, like, I really give him
so much credit, but we down first games.
Speaker 12 (43:41):
This was an Alzheim's greatest a peak of his powers,
succeeding and being told that, like, you know, who cares.
Speaker 13 (43:51):
I think if he's been able to connect with fans
on that level and made that effort to do that,
I think it not only would have changed the way
people felt in subsequent years about the Warriors winning titles.
I think that Kevin Durant was still will be in
Golden State right now.
Speaker 5 (44:06):
I'm gonna go with hell you who is going to
win that series?
Speaker 8 (44:09):
If?
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Garrett dub Dynasty is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA.
For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts,
or wherever you get your podcasts.
Dubbed Dynasty as a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Good vision was always in my repertoire, my repertoire, my repertoire,
my repertoire.
Speaker 3 (00:27):
The internet was so worldwide.
Speaker 4 (00:29):
You congratulations, missus Principessa.
Speaker 5 (00:33):
I love seeing those engagements here.
Speaker 6 (00:34):
That's always special.
Speaker 4 (00:37):
I'm tired, Jared, I want to go eat a sandwich
and this will be in the past.
Speaker 7 (00:42):
I could call me tail.
Speaker 4 (00:44):
I don't know if I was born for it, but
I definitely worked my butt off to get to this point.
And I mean, I guess you could say I was
born for it. I might go see the swamps or something.
I'm trying to catch an alligator.
Speaker 8 (00:58):
I don't know, man, I'm not gonna lack a lot.
Speaker 6 (01:05):
I just blanked out ball.
Speaker 3 (01:08):
To see it in real time.
Speaker 8 (01:10):
Oh it's crazy.
Speaker 1 (01:14):
That was a collection of quirk from none other than
Clay Thompson, the far more eccentric half of the Splash Brothers.
I'm Israel Gutierrez and this is dubb Dynasty. Clay's is
a unique NBA existence. His jump shot is one to envy,
not just for casuals, but even for NBA greats. But
(01:36):
it's the second most discussed jump shot on his own
Warriors team. He's considered one of the best two way
players of his time because his defensive efforts often matched
or surpassed his offensive output, but he'd make just one
NBA All Defensive Second Team in his Golden State tenure.
He's largely considered to have been snugged left off the
(01:58):
NBA's Greatest seventy five Players of All Time list, Yet
he was also fortunate to have played alongside teammates who'd
be considered possibly top ten all time, rarely requiring him
to carry his team for extended stretches.
Speaker 6 (02:13):
If I could do it all over again, I would
be Clay. I mean that I want to be Clay.
He's got it figured out, just wants to play hoop
and have fun and play with his dog. The most
low maintenance guy on Earth.
Speaker 1 (02:30):
And while he has saved his Warriors team at times
and put together some of the more impressive scoring performances
basketball has ever seen, Clay has always been arguably the
greatest luxury there's ever been in the NBA. He's the
second yacht that rarely makes it out of the marine.
He's the Rolls Royce Phantom that only rolls out of
(02:50):
the garage when family visits. He's a game six. Savor
a postgame interview, Jim, He's sixty points in three quarters.
More on that momentary. But when Clay Thompson wasn't even
through a championship and another run to the finals was enough,
(03:21):
last week left you. The Warriors were still experiencing the
rebound effect of losing a three to one lead in
the finals to Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. It
was as much as it could be for a team
that had just set their regular season winsmark a moment
of international embarrassment. As a result, the Warriors would attempt
(03:41):
to woo the biggest free agent available, Kevin Durant, and
so far, through a series of sales pitches in the
high Faluton Hamptons, the Warriors had at least contributed to
the possibility of Durant changing teams. Durant possibly going to
Golden State was a topic on ESPN's The Jail with
(04:04):
Rachel Nichols, Zach Lowe and Tracy McGrady.
Speaker 9 (04:08):
I think he's talented enough to bet on a team
to win a championship, to carry our team to a championship.
That's the type of talent that he has. Go team
up with Chris Paul and Los Angeles, Go team up
with you know, Melo and New York.
Speaker 10 (04:23):
So I go somewhere where at no.
Speaker 8 (04:25):
You team up here, but don't team up there, team
up in some places.
Speaker 9 (04:27):
And I go to say, team up with a team
that hasn't won a championship. I mean that will be
more gratifying for filling.
Speaker 1 (04:35):
And On our nation's Independence Day twenty sixteen, Durant announced
via The Player's Tribune in an article titled My Next Chapter,
that he would sign with the Warriors. The article featured
a photo of Durant in a white sleeveless T shirt
looking off to the right at nothing in particular. It's
an image and headline combo that still gets the mean
(04:57):
treatment to this day. In the article, Durant announced his
decision to join the Warriors given the level of hatred
spewed at Lebron James after he chose to leave his
first organization in free agency in twenty ten. Durant made
sure to mention his appreciation for the Thunder organization and
its fans. Durant wrote, quote, it really pains me to
(05:20):
know that I will disappoint so many people with this choice,
but I believe I'm doing what I feel is the
right thing at this point in my life and my
playing career. It wasn't just thunder fans would feel disappointment.
Fans of competition would also the idea that a team
that just set the all time wins record for a
single season and was just one more win away from
(05:42):
also winning the championship just added a player who might
be better than anyone else on the roster. It just
didn't sit well in the eyes of many. In twenty ten,
after Lebron signed with the Heat, Jeff Van Gundy predicted
that Heat team that also had Dwayne Wade and Chris
Bosch would break the wins record. The Warriors had already
(06:05):
done that and now added an MVP in his absolute pride.
The immediate backlash was so strong it felt as if
Durant was getting attached from all angles, not just his
former teammates.
Speaker 10 (06:19):
Team and a the news again coming in moments ago,
Kevin Durant heading two the Golden State Warriors.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
How are you viewing this move from Durant?
Speaker 11 (06:28):
Well, I'm viewing it as the weakest move I've ever
seen from a superstar playing as simple.
Speaker 3 (06:32):
That's just how I look at it.
Speaker 11 (06:33):
It's not that he's leaving Oklahoma City. If you're not happy,
then you want to move on and you want to
grow as a player, or you know, there's nothing wrong
with that. He's one of the top three players in
the world. He's a quit essential superstar. He deserves all
the credits in the world, but the talent that he possesses.
Speaker 5 (06:48):
But the flip side is this.
Speaker 11 (06:49):
They were up three to one in the Western Conference finals,
not one, not two, but three different times. He was
forty eight minutes removed from getting to the NBA Finals
by winning the Western Conference three times. He failed, particularly
in Game six. And you depart for the team that
beat you when you're on the cusp of getting to
the finals yourself ultimately winning the championship with a franchise
(07:10):
that you've been with since you've come into the NBA,
I think it's incredibly weak.
Speaker 1 (07:16):
His most famous teammate, Russell Westbrook, did post a response
on Instagram that would consolidate the nation's thoughts on Durant
into one sweet, patriotic image. Westbrook posted an image of
cupcakes decorated for the holiday with the caption Happy Fourth y'all.
It turns out another former Durant teammate, Kendrick Perkins, used
(07:38):
to call teammates cupcakes if they were playing soft. The
cupcake response from Westbrook would be the one Thunder fans
would cling to. From the outside looking in, it was
easy to pick sides here. Westbrook was the teammate left
behind as Durant left to join the big bad favorites.
Even Slater felt the venom from the Thunder fans after
(08:00):
he left the Oklahoma to cover the Warriors.
Speaker 12 (08:03):
So much of the Durant backlash felt like you're going
to the enemy, like the team that really, you know,
just kind of slayed you. I think there was a
lot of people at the time that really wanted to
see Thunder Warriors again the next year. Right, it was
like but it also I mean, people in the league
viewed it, and I guess you would say the same
about the Miami one. But people in the league viewed
(08:24):
it like, man, you just ruined the league for the
next four years. We know who's gonna win the title.
You're gonna be massive favors. In some ways, they were
kind of proven correct.
Speaker 1 (08:32):
At this point in our NBA experience, the media and
the public had already learned their lesson about critiquing a
player's free agency choice too vigorously. The hyperbolic reactions to
Lebron James leaving Cleveland for Miami taught us to calm
down a little bit when a player simply exerts his
own free will and chooses where he wants to work.
(08:53):
But there was something especially off put about Durant joining
the enemy that defeated him in the most recent playoffs.
Forget about an unfair talent advantage for the Warrior. Amateur
psychiatrists everywhere, we're trying to examine Durant's mentality. Why not
run it back and try to beat the Warriors after
being so close in the conference finals? Was Russell Westbrook
(09:15):
really that difficult to play with? What it really satisfied
Durant to win a title with this turnkey championship ready team.
Rachel Nichols has examined the Durant conversation from every angle.
Upon reflection, she believes Durant's decision isn't a shocking when
you look back at the circumstances.
Speaker 13 (09:35):
And we all acknowledge it now. And by the way,
I happen to like Russell Westbrook. I think he'said a
lot of community stuff people don't give him credit for.
And I also think the way that he uplifted that
Thunder team after Kevin left really reset the course of
the franchise and enabled what is happening now, because without
that belief he provided for them, I'm not sure that
they are what is this in our Year of Our
Lord twenty twenty four to twenty five the title contender.
Speaker 3 (09:58):
But he can wear on you, man, He can be
hard to play with.
Speaker 13 (10:02):
And also Kevin in a small market that wasn't maybe
naturally the sus from Texas, but maybe wasn't naturally aware
and who he saw himself at that stage of being
an adult year a lot different at that age seven
years into your career than you are when you first
came in. And by the way, he started in Seattle
and then they go to Oklahoma City and all of
that stuff, So I think his decision to leave Oklahoma
(10:23):
City is a little separate.
Speaker 1 (10:27):
There was one financial detail that allowed for this to
even be a conversation. After the NBA signed a new
television deal in twenty fourteen, the league was set to
experience a spike in revenue beginning in the twenty sixteen offseason,
setting up for the largest salary cap increase the league
had ever seen. There was an attempt by the league
to avoid the big spike and spread out the revenue
(10:50):
over multiple years so that more free agents benefit, not
just the twenty sixteen group. That attempt was rejected by
the players Association, setting up the possibility of Durant signing
with Golden State and setting up seemingly endless debate of
should Durant have even considered the Warriors.
Speaker 13 (11:09):
Here's Nicholas, I think he was ready to be somewhere fun.
Kevin Durant loves basketball. I think if you know Kevin
at all, if you followed his career at all, you
know he says a lot of the time, I just
want a hoop man. And it's easy to take that
is a cliche or casually it is the building block
of who he is. He will get out there with
a basketball and annette wherever he is, he wants to play.
(11:30):
He's most comfortable with himself and who he is on
the court. He just wants to play ball man. And
it's a little reductive but it's also true, and I
think the fact that this team was able to offer
him not only a chance at a title and a
ring and all the things the public focused on, but
the chance to have this sort of environment where basketball
was the main thing and it was supposed to be fun.
(11:52):
I think that was really appealing for him. On top
of oh yeah, I could finally win a title, Oh yeah,
I get to play with Steph, and the fact that
Steph behaved in a way that, frankly, we just haven't
seen modern superstar and any sport behave. Willing to say
to someone who maybe was in some ways, in some ways,
in some ways better than him in certain areas, to
(12:14):
come onto the team and be at the very least
a Coh headliner, I think was remarkable.
Speaker 1 (12:20):
This just didn't fit the story arc that we all projected.
After the phenomenal twenty sixteen playoffs, the thunder were supposed
to get another shot at the Warriors. Lebron was supposed
to have ended the Warriors run the same way he
stopped Eastern Conference teams from ever starting THEIRS. Teams like
the Rockets and Grizzlies were supposed to emerge as true
(12:43):
challengers o West, Durant's choice would eliminate all those as
possibilities and we would all have to accept the inevitable
Avengers endgame type finale that was to come. Despite the
cinematic setup, people hated on Durant for creating leading this
offensive genius to be on the defense from the start
(13:05):
of his time in Bothen State.
Speaker 5 (13:07):
Nothing in this league is easy, and I know it's
going to be ups and down throughout a season.
Speaker 14 (13:11):
I know we expected to be perfect every single day,
but I know that's not realistic.
Speaker 13 (13:15):
I think the Warriors were so dominant throughout the twenty
sixteen season. I think the fact that Steph Curry felt
like a little bit unbreakable and unbeatable, and we just
as if you're a fan of any other team, you're thinking,
we just went through a decade of Lebron James doing
whatever he wanted. I mean, Lebron dismantled what three different
(13:36):
organizations in the Eastern Conference in the time that he
was in Cleveland. I mean, you look at the rise
and ball of the Boston Celtics at that time, or
the Pacers, or we could talk about the Bulls that
there's so many teams that the Rafters that he just destroyed,
and that the feeling among fans was, way, We're about
to go through this all over again, You're kidding me.
I think there was a little bit of that. I
(13:57):
think that this sort of radio talk show host narrative
of oh wow, you lost, so you're going to go
join the winner, and it spoke to this idea of
manliness in some way that caught a lot of fire
with a lot of people. I think was an ingredient
in all of that.
Speaker 1 (14:14):
The drama of the season had been removed by this decision,
so all the dramatics would be focused on Durant and
his free agency choice. The Warriors would also need to
adjust their roster to fit Durant. Goneweror Harrison Barnes, Andrew Bogitt,
Maurice Spates, and Festus A. Zili In were veteran forward
David West, rookie Patrick mccau and big man Jajah Peculia.
(14:38):
The veteran center had just experienced his thirteen season in
the NBA, but before he was able to join the
star studded Warriors, Peculia was just like the rest of us,
wondering why Durant made the NBA, possibly the most top
heavy it had ever been.
Speaker 8 (14:56):
I can tell you how mad I was when Katie
signed with the Warriors, already amazing team. I lost to
the final in the finals to Clivement, already great team,
and guess what breaking breaking news, Katie signs, but I'm gonna.
I was so mad. I said, who is going to
beat them? I said, this is not fair. I mean
(15:18):
my wife, my kids said, Dad, why are you angry?
I said, it's not fair. It's not fair. I said,
what Katie just signed with? Like, because my mind is
like okay, because I was in Dallas. I just had
my career year in Dallas. I really bonded with Dirk
and you know Darren Williams and played for coach Carl.
I said it was great. I really liked it. But
I was free agent and I didn't care about free agency.
(15:39):
All I cared about, like why Warriors sign Kevin the
Red So two days later, so after being mad and disappointing,
frustrated for forty eight hours, my agents called me because
I was free agent, so and he goes Zaza. We've
been working together for a pretty good amount of time,
and I had a lot of offers for you during
(16:01):
your career, but nothing like this.
Speaker 1 (16:04):
Peculia had offers from the Trailblazers, Mavericks and of course
the Warriors. Suddenly his complaint stopped.
Speaker 8 (16:13):
No brainer, that was a lifetime opportunity.
Speaker 9 (16:16):
You know, to.
Speaker 8 (16:18):
Forget about winning it first, like winning is a huge part,
but just to experience, I need to play with the guys.
So I just mentioned you know, Steph clay KD Drama
and the center spot was open. And but you know,
the like they were very open about, like, you know,
we want we looking at you as your number one
(16:40):
option for us to be a starting center. So I
was joking with my friends. Actually I never made an
All Star, but hey, there you go. I'm playing with
the all Stars. So four all stars, I say, and
right away I told him yes.
Speaker 1 (17:00):
Filling out the roster around Durant, the Splash Brothers and
Draymond would seem like a relatively easy task, But remember
the center position had been held by Andrew Boget the
previous few years, a former number one overall pick with
defensive player of the year type of ability and a
selfless approach that fit right in. Replacing him wouldn't be
(17:22):
as easy as taking the first free agent center available.
Peculia's role would be critical, and he recognized that early
on as he was adjusting to Golden State's faster style
of play.
Speaker 8 (17:35):
I never played in this system before, so it was
quite adjustment. It took some time for me, a couple
of weeks, a couple of months to really keep out
with the pace, keep out with you know, the movements.
And you know he's not like you know you have
windows right, No, like jump ball back and forward, like
(17:55):
not only is north and south, also like east to west,
you know, so like ball should have been moving. You
could not hold the ball and understand, I mean, well
Staff needed a ball right where Clay like where Kad
needed the ball right. So all this smolding little things,
I think that's the differentiates good and great. And as
a starting center, I had to be good. I had
(18:17):
to be right on in point and I could have
messed it out.
Speaker 1 (18:22):
The Warriors thought they were done building the team around
the core of Curry, Clay, Draymond Durant and Iguadala, but
Agwadala suggested one of his former teammates also be brought
on board. JaVale McGhee was on the Mavericks the previous season,
just like Jajah Paculia, but he was teammates with Iguadala
on the Nuggets team that lost to the Warriors in
the twenty fourteen playoffs. Iguadala pushed the Warriors to give
(18:45):
the uber athletic seven foot McGee a chance. McGee would
give Golden State a lab option. They didn't quite have
a vertical threat in the half court and a big
man who runs the floor. Well, it was the first
time McGee teamed with Curry, but it wasn't the first
impression he had of Steph. That came when Steph debuted
one of his signature celebrations against McGee and the Denver Nuggets.
Speaker 15 (19:11):
I mean, the only thing that really lingered was, I
believe a game against US Denver was the first time
he had done a shoot in the corner three and
turn around to look at the bench before it goes in.
So it was like a spark for his swag to
go up one hundred x. And I hate the fact
(19:31):
that we were a part of that, or I guess
I was a part of that.
Speaker 3 (19:34):
Curry with the whisker tree getting in back three on
the way, Yes, Sir, turned around two. That was dirty.
Speaker 1 (19:43):
My goodness, this dude is ridiculous.
Speaker 3 (19:49):
Eight unanswered curry off a drive curry for three cats.
Speaker 16 (19:57):
God, Steph Curry from way downtown. There's step three pointer
of the night.
Speaker 1 (20:04):
And it wouldn't take long for this center with the
reputation of being somewhat goofy, to play a very serious
role with the loaded dumps.
Speaker 15 (20:12):
I feel like I realized that once I started realizing
how Draymond played and how he was more of a
pass first player but would always have the ball in
his hands. So I believe a couple of practices, a
couple of preseason games, I'm realizing, like, Okay, he's throwing
the live no matter what. So it was really helping
me just with my timing and with my role of knowing, Okay,
(20:35):
if he got the ball in his hand, be ready
for a live and just dunk the ball and get
back down the court and just focus on that because
they don't need you shooting breeze, and it needs you
posting enough, and it's a whole different type of team
or whatever we got going. You got to be great
at that certain roles so each person can do what
they have to do so that we win this championship.
Speaker 1 (20:56):
The team was complete, and all that was left in
the regular season was to acclimate Durant to his new
teammates and for his new teammates to effectively shield him
from the hatred that was to come. That would be
at its most intense when Durant played in Oklahoma City
(21:17):
for the first time as an opponent, but that wouldn't
happen until February. Until then, the team's concerns were minimal.
There was perhaps no better display of just how much
scoring talent was on this team than on December fifth,
twenty sixteen, in Oracle Arena. That's when Clay Thompson did
his best Will Chamberlain impression, scoring sixty points in just
(21:41):
twenty nine minutes and three seconds of playing time. It
was a game against the Indiana Pacers, who happened to
be starting old friend Monte Ellis opposite Thompson. Unlike the
game in which Thompson scored thirty seven points in the
third quarter, Clay was hot from the beginning of this one.
(22:12):
With so much attention paid to Curry and Durant, Thompson
scored an easy seventeen in the first court, all within
the flow of the offense, all without much If any
dribble can play.
Speaker 17 (22:23):
Himself twenty Thompson, your son, he's having a life. Play
want to get three quarter?
Speaker 3 (22:40):
The events has gone nuts twenty seven for twenty. I'm
twelve of sixteen.
Speaker 1 (22:47):
Shooting midway through the second period, with the Warriors leading
fifty six to thirty nine, Thompson caught a pass from
Sean Livigson. While crossing the floor from left to right.
He turned over his left shoulder and shot a fading
three pointer that landed him in the front of his
own bench as the ball switched through the net.
Speaker 3 (23:15):
Thirteen not the Warrior run Let's they figured to play
next time.
Speaker 1 (23:21):
That shot sent the Warrior's bench into a friends It
was a celebration just as jubilant as any of the
title celebrations. Steph Perry even left the bench momentarily darting
to the hallway leading to his locker room, unable to
contain his joy. This was based strictly on reaction, one
(23:43):
of the happiest moments of this entire Golden State run.
The Warriors were coasting and their third option offensively was
putting on a scoring display for the Ages. By halftime,
Clay had forty. His last three pointer of the half
didn't even draw much of a celebration, just three fingers
(24:05):
directed to the floor.
Speaker 9 (24:06):
And a bit of a meaning.
Speaker 1 (24:11):
And the first halt, and with twenty more points in
the third quarter, Thompson had sixty. He left the game
with one twenty two remaining in the third quarter and
the Warriors leading by thirty five place.
Speaker 3 (24:31):
Ray light Top said, warners are having fun clad.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
For thy.
Speaker 3 (24:45):
Guy's gotta go up to sixty play quarter three sixty
sixty for play top set.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
Had the Pacers managed to stay close, Clay would have
had a chance to reach Kobe's famed eighty one tote.
But fittingly, Golden State was just too done, And just
to show how much of a sixty point game can
truly be a team effort, Clay only needed eleven dribbles
for the entire game. I counted fourteen. But whatever, the
(25:26):
whole performance, save for one or two difficult shots, was
a display of just how well oiled this machine really was.
Here was Thompson after the game.
Speaker 8 (25:35):
With ros goold On Moude.
Speaker 3 (25:37):
It was fun. I was in a great rhythm, took
all good shots most part, still.
Speaker 4 (25:41):
Miss a few while the threes or what she got back.
Speaker 3 (25:43):
But it was a fun night, say the least at halftime.
Speaker 6 (25:47):
You had forty points.
Speaker 3 (25:48):
Usually at halftime people cool off. How were we able
to stay hot in the third quarters.
Speaker 4 (25:52):
Not getting caught up and having forty just trying to
play every possession like it matters were Bay and.
Speaker 10 (25:59):
It did.
Speaker 3 (25:59):
I mean, we're trying to build great habits.
Speaker 4 (26:01):
Since the turnover ratio tonight was phenomenal, we got to
keep that up.
Speaker 3 (26:05):
You had sixty and three quarters. What do you think
would have happened if you played in the fourth? Who knows? Hopeyah,
I don't know.
Speaker 9 (26:12):
I don't know.
Speaker 3 (26:13):
That's a great question.
Speaker 6 (26:14):
Who knows.
Speaker 1 (26:19):
Thompson's personality, a laid back approach to life that includes
taking his boat to work as often as possible in
the Bay Area, was just what this pressure cooker of
a team needed. It wasn't just Curry's joyful demeanor that
set the tone for the Warriors. It was also Thompson's
lovable personality. At this point in the process, Captain Clay,
(26:40):
as he was nicknamed, wasn't affected by the extra attention.
Kareth Burke had been a Warrior's sideline reporter since twenty seventeen.
She recognized the benefit of Thompson's work life balance fairly earth.
Speaker 7 (26:56):
Who could you think of that would leave his house
in Tiberan. She would drive a boat to work, park
it at this marina and then ride his bike to
the arena like he would do Instagram lives. As he
was captaining his boat listening to Bob Barley Michael Jackson,
like he really liked the old Motown stuff especially, and yeah,
he's just out there.
Speaker 3 (27:16):
He was like, hey, guys, water's fine today.
Speaker 7 (27:19):
Like Clay was always himself, He never changed with the spotlight.
Clay was very fortunate that Steph commanded the attention and
that Kadi commanded the attention, because Clay is actually, especially
during those years, pretty shy. You could see it in
the way that he talked to media. He looked down
a lot, He stumbled a little bit. He always knew
(27:43):
what he wanted to say when it comes to talking pop.
But I think he just didn't like the glare of
the attention. As they kept winning championships, there was more
and more and more media and more demands on their time,
and I could see him retreating into himself a little bit. Yeah,
not everybody is a public speaker, and when it comes
(28:04):
to Clay, he's a very simple person, and I want
to make sure this does not come off as simpleton.
He is a very intelligent guy, but he likes three things, basketball,
his dog.
Speaker 1 (28:16):
And the water.
Speaker 15 (28:17):
Guys, that's it.
Speaker 7 (28:18):
It doesn't take a lot to make him feel fulfilled.
So he was really living this dream and then doing
his best to be incognito and left alone with his
dog out in the Oakland Hills.
Speaker 1 (28:30):
Incognito was impossible, of course, for a player on this
highest of profile teams. In fact, the Warriors had become
so high profile after the Durant signing, just dealing with
the constant pressure of expectations was among the team's biggest challenges.
According to ja Jah Peculia, who was experiencing his first
(28:51):
year under this scorching spotlight, it took a conversation with
Steve Kirk for him to learn how to properly managed
overly eager fans in Meetia.
Speaker 8 (29:07):
So when I I'm with the Warriors, suddenly my following
go on to social media just just started increasing like crazy.
It's a good thing, but also there's some bad thing
came with it. Suddenly lots of negativity came. We were
winning games left and right, nothing was stopping us. We're
having good time, fun, smile, highlights, sports centers, top ten,
(29:31):
you know, maybe half of us us. You know, so
so many good things are happening. But like with the
increase of following, also there was an increase of the negativity.
You know, the comments and this and that. So I
couldn't share with this anymore. Right, so going home, I
would always thinking, I said, hold on, like it really
doesn't add up. I don't understand it. Like we playing well,
(29:53):
I fit perfectly. I think we're gonna be even better,
like you know, once we get into the middle of
the season, so you know, and by the playoffs and
you know, most likely we're gonna win the championship. We
stay healthy. I don't understand why so much negativity. So
one day, Coach Kirk calls me after the practice. Everything
was going just fine. But that's all Coach, I don't
(30:14):
understand why so much negativity around it. Like we're playing
good and I think I'm doing whatever you asked me
to do, Like you know, I'm pretty good with my role.
Everything is going fine. I don't understand why so much
negativity around and he goes, who is your head coach?
I said, you are? What about assistant coaches? I said, well,
(30:37):
Mike Brown, Ron Adams, you know, Q Jaron Collins stay around.
I mean, because there was up right after the practice,
so still a whole team and you know, the whole
staff was there. And he goes, how about your teammates?
I said, where are you trying to go with this?
I said, well, Steph is shooting half court shots clays
like making ten in a row, thro from three's, Draymond
(30:58):
is beating up someone over in the dgotic corner. Katie
is working on his mid moves.
Speaker 15 (31:04):
You know.
Speaker 8 (31:04):
I say, like this, that's how my teammates and he goes, exactly,
that's what matters the most, you know. So that was
such an important moment, you know, in my life. Driving
back home, I say, you know what, He's so right.
Speaker 1 (31:29):
It was Kerr's most challenging job keeping together a group
that had so many possible distractions, but on a team
this loaded, he had the added challenge of making sure
the stars were engaged on a nightly basis. Also, with
this established a winning formula, even Kevin Durant can fade
into the background on occasion in his first Warrior season,
(31:52):
Durant would often say as much that he was just hooping,
figuring out where he fits and occasionally picking his spots
to be a killer, like in the fifth game of
the season, his first again his old team, when he
had thirty nine seven three pointers.
Speaker 18 (32:07):
West books past foot off by prittolia. There's purry behind
a boy. Yes, they are all join us in an
Olklahoma center.
Speaker 3 (32:19):
It's putting up prick golf Ran pulls it off. He
is a quiet.
Speaker 6 (32:31):
That's ridiculous.
Speaker 8 (32:34):
Welcome the Golden Steak.
Speaker 1 (32:37):
Or his second game against his former team, which happened
to be his best game of the season, when he
had forty twelve rebounds and three blocks.
Speaker 16 (32:45):
Durrect for three access fifth to the game and a
forty point outing season high for Kevin.
Speaker 1 (32:52):
D'lan book goose by the way, We're an Oak. It
was quite the contrast to the start of Lebron James's
tenure in Miami, when he infamously bumped into head coach
Eric Spolster early in the season and was tossing hints
that he wanted pat Riley back on the bench for
Steve Kerr. This was as close to basketball nirvana as
there could be, and he happened to be the director
(33:13):
of it all.
Speaker 5 (33:18):
So we would wrap up practice and I would go
to the side of the court and at one end
was Staff going through his routine. At the other end
was Kevin going through his routine. And you know, it's
like we're watching Mozart and Bach, you know, at the
exact same time composed music. He was stunning. These are
(33:41):
the guys who, you know, the most talented people in
the world at what they do and maybe of all time.
And I got to witness that day after day. So
I just admired Kevin's his work ethic, but how much
he would zen out within the work. You know, you
(34:02):
could see how much it meant to him, even if
he didn't talk about it a whole lot, who's a
pretty private guy. You could just see how much the
game meant to him. And it was It was beautiful.
It was mesmerizing to watching more.
Speaker 1 (34:16):
And by the time the Warriors did face the Thunder
and Durant's old stomping ground of Oklahoma City, the team
was forty five and eight and Durant had already experienced
the awkwardness of playing against his former teammates and coach.
The game began with the expected level of hatred, as
thunder fans wore t shirts with cupcakes on calling back
(34:37):
to Westbrook's post after Durant's free agency decision thirty five
Kevin Duran. Durant would effectively silence all of them, scoring
thirty four points on fifty seven percent shooting. The Warriors
(35:01):
won easily, one thirty one fourteen.
Speaker 16 (35:04):
Durant Way Downtown sign Kevin Durant drills a three pointer.
Speaker 1 (35:12):
Westbrook did have forty seven points with eleven rebounds and
eight assists in what would be his MVP season and
his first averaging a triple double, but he also had
eleven turners. Durant talked with Lisa Salters after the game.
Speaker 19 (35:28):
Now, you said you thought that you were going to
get food, but actually hearing it, seeing the cupcake signs,
hearing the fans that used.
Speaker 10 (35:35):
To cheer you, What was that like for you?
Speaker 14 (35:37):
I actually go to a bit a little louder, But
you know it was fun. You know, I was on
the other side of it, you know, So to become
one of these guys now whenever Brewy.
Speaker 10 (35:46):
Was kind of fun.
Speaker 8 (35:46):
So, you know, I got ambrasing it.
Speaker 14 (35:48):
That's all I can do and keep playing my game,
and keep preparing away up a fair and enjoy every
game as well.
Speaker 3 (35:53):
So you know it was fun.
Speaker 14 (35:54):
Now, you and Russell seemed to exchange words.
Speaker 19 (35:57):
At one point you were had to haggard with Andrey
robertson what were your former team makes, saying to you,
I don't remember. So once again, none of the players
exchanged how MUDs or anything like that?
Speaker 14 (36:11):
Does that mean something to you at all?
Speaker 1 (36:13):
To this point, the projections were proving true. The Warriors
wouldn't face much resistance. How could there be any real
suffering if Durant and Curry were in uniform every game, well,
there was always friendly pile. When Jasha Paculia crashed into
(36:37):
Durant early in a February twenty eighth game in Washington,
d C. Near Durant's hometown, it would result in a
Grade two MCL sprain that kept Durant sidelines for more
than a month. He'd return with a few games remaining
in the regular season. In the nineteen games he missed,
the Warriors went fifteen to four, including a three game
losing streak and a thirteen game winning streak. The viewing
(37:00):
audience would take that Warrior's success without Durant has further
evidence that Golden State never needed him to begin with.
Durant also missed two games in the warriors first round
sweep of the Portland Trailblazers. Curry averaged thirty in that series,
including forty two percent from three point range. The Warriors
won by an average of eighteen points in that seek a.
Speaker 18 (37:21):
Waller the Blazers one twelve O three.
Speaker 3 (37:27):
Golden State with the four games close out.
Speaker 18 (37:32):
Over the Portland Trailblazers.
Speaker 1 (37:34):
In the next round, with a healthy squad, the Warriors
swept Gordon Hayward, Rudy Gobert and the Utah Jazz.
Speaker 3 (37:40):
The Golden State Warriors, I've swept the Utah Jazz.
Speaker 8 (37:45):
Another great round.
Speaker 14 (37:46):
Everybody contributive what we do and looking forward to what's
a compace spot.
Speaker 1 (37:53):
This is probably as good a time as any to
mention the Warriors were doing most of this without Steve
Kerr on the sideline. The complications from his back surgery
so bad Kerr missed eleven playoff games, with Mike Brown
serving as acting head coach. JaVale McGee said Kerr's absence,
which lasted until Game two of the NBA Finals was
(38:15):
a clear source of motivation.
Speaker 15 (38:17):
It was definitely sad to seeing him in pain and
not being able to do what he loved with his coach.
He definitely gave us some inspiration though, knowing that he's
out here fighting real life things as in back pain
and if anybody knows back paint, No, Joe, I don't
care if it's serve you back pain or you've been
golfing for eighteen holes back man.
Speaker 8 (38:38):
Back pain was old Joe.
Speaker 15 (38:39):
So the fact that he had to sit out that
really pushed us to Okay, we to this receivee just
in case he didn't come back, just because he's been
leading us this whole time and going through where he's
going through, but not letting that way for him from
being a great coach.
Speaker 1 (38:54):
Waiting for Mike Brown and the Warriors in the Conference
finals was a San Antonio Spurs team that looked quite
different than it did the last time these two teams
met postseason. Gone was Tim Duncan. Unavailable was Tony Parker,
who'd gotten hurt in the previous series. Still, the Spurs
were riding big brother vibes when it came to the Warriors.
(39:15):
They were the last Western Conference team Golden State lost
to in the postseason. They even blew out the Warriors
in Kd's Golden State debut to start the year. They'd
replaced Duncan with LaMarcus Aldridge, who'd come over as a
free agent from Portland, and Kawhi Leonard had fully developed
into a superstar, coming off two consecutive Defensive Player of
(39:36):
the Year awards and finishing second to Steph Curry an
MVP voting in twenty sixteen. Danny Green was on the
Spurs for the twenty thirteen playoff series and would face
Golden State three more times in the playoffs before his
career ended. Green said those revamped Spurs didn't view the
Warriors the way the rest of the league did.
Speaker 10 (39:57):
I'll approached Pop always keep kidding and just me being young,
being competitive. It didn't matter who was where. We always
they were vulnerable or they had vulnerable spots, and nobody
was invincible to us. You know, Pop was like, I
don't see Michael out there. I don't see Larry and
Robert part you know, I don't see you know that team.
Those they're good, but they're not These guys Boston back
into the Lakers back in the day, He's like, or
(40:19):
Michael Jordan was Chicago Bulls, They're not that good, So
we was put it in our minds like they're beautiful.
Speaker 1 (40:24):
To this point in the postseason, the Warriors hadn't lost
a game. No team in NBA history has gone undefeated
throughout a championship. Golden State had a real opportunity to
be the first, or at least that was the discussion
around this group that had won all but one of
its first eight playoff games by double figures. The Spurs
(40:45):
weren't trying to hear any of them. It's behind a
dominant Kawhi Leonard. San Antonio led Game one by as
many as twenty three points in the third quarter. The
Warriors shot just thirty four percent in the first half,
and Leonard looked like the best player on the floor.
Speaker 16 (41:01):
Curry comes up with the steel, crows it, Leonard with
the ball, drives and finishes.
Speaker 6 (41:08):
Leonard gets away.
Speaker 16 (41:09):
Drives eight side and finishes again. Leonard fake screen, goes
fort Leonard drives, look up, oh, he floats to the
rim using the left hand.
Speaker 1 (41:19):
If we were to pause time and examine the NBA
at this very moment, Kawhi Leonard could actually stake the
claim as the best player in the league. He had
already won a Finals MVP in his third year, largely
because of defense he played against Lebron James. He'd been
given the reins to the Spurs and had led this
team to sixty one wins. Leonard was the perfect foil
(41:43):
for these Warriors, given that he could defend anyone on
Gordon State, but was also becoming an efficient offensive threat.
In essence, Kawhi was just as devastating as Lebron had
been the previous two finals, and in the opener of
the Western Conference Finals, Leonard was giving the Warriors PTSD.
Danny Green had beaten the Warriors in the playoffs before
(42:07):
he knew that team was questioning itself, maybe for the
first time since coming together.
Speaker 10 (42:13):
We were hooping first half, who were killing LaMarcus was
playing well, like there's some games like we weren't sure
how well he's gonna be offensively, defensively, like if.
Speaker 5 (42:20):
He's gonna get rhythm.
Speaker 10 (42:21):
He's trying to find his rhythm, and him and Kawhi
were trying to figure it out. He was bawlin him
and Kawhi were in attend I'm going to like two
man game was working well and they were in good rhythm.
I didn't wasn't scoring a bunch, but I hit two
shot like we were up good at half. It was
like okay.
Speaker 3 (42:34):
You could see it in their face.
Speaker 10 (42:35):
You could see it in Katie's face, like damn, I
came here and I don't know if this is gonna
work out the way I expected it to.
Speaker 1 (42:42):
Adding to the sense of satisfaction coursing through the Spurs
was the fact that San Antonio was one of those
teams in the Hamptons trying to court Kevin Durant. Had
Durant chose to sign with the Spurs, players like Danny
Green would have to be moved to make room. Green
was told as much during the previous offseason, so throwing
a Kawhi Leonard sized wrench to the Warriors plans was
(43:05):
quite satisfying for Green and a few of his first teammates.
Speaker 10 (43:09):
We had David West the year before and I think
he just left him got to go State the year after,
so he went from us to them, and this is
the year he was there and Katie were there and
we could see the face like, Yo, this might be
this might be it for reality, and he's like, damn,
I can't believe. I can't you know, like damn, I
came here and I'm about to get my.
Speaker 8 (43:23):
Ass busting.
Speaker 1 (43:28):
On the next dumb dynastic.
Speaker 8 (43:33):
He was playing. May I don't even mind. I hear
that we bet and cool, like, I really give him
so much credit, but we down first games.
Speaker 12 (43:41):
This was an Alzheim's greatest a peak of his powers,
succeeding and being told that, like, you know, who cares.
Speaker 13 (43:51):
I think if he's been able to connect with fans
on that level and made that effort to do that,
I think it not only would have changed the way
people felt in subsequent years about the Warriors winning titles.
I think that Kevin Durant was still will be in
Golden State right now.
Speaker 5 (44:06):
I'm gonna go with hell you who is going to
win that series?
Speaker 8 (44:09):
If?
Speaker 1 (44:09):
Garrett dub Dynasty is a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA.
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