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Kevin Durant can't stop catching strays online long after his unpopular move to the Golden State Warriors in 2016. The former MVP was accused of taking the easy route to a championship after joining the 73-9 Warriors, essentially ending any hopes of competition for the best team in the league.
The Warriors won two championships in three years with him and made the finals throughout his tenure there. KD was the best player on that team. He won two finals MVPs as well. Durant's tenure could've finished with a three-peat, but his Achilles injury hampered the Warriors' chances of achieving that dream.
He left the franchise that summer and joined forces with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn. Part of it was to revive his legacy by winning a championship without a super team. The following season, the Nets added James Harden next to Irving and Durant, raising concerns about Kevin Durant's willingness to compete without a star-studded roster.
That big three didn't work out after Harden left a year later. About 12 months later, Durant left after Irving asked for a trade. KD joined the Phoenix Suns with Chris Paul and Devin Booker, again giving fans and critics a reason to accuse him of chasing a ring.
This offseason, the Suns swapped Chris Paul for Bradley Beal in a trade, seeing Kevin Durant on a superteam for the fourth time since 2016. The USA Basketball Twitter page featuring Durant on a promotional poster for the USWNT World Cup campaign saw fans hilariously mock the Suns forward again.
One fan wrote:
"KD is a pioneer when it comes to finding new ways to chase a ring."
More reactions followed:
Kevin Durant is among the stars with the most pressure to deliver a championship next season
Kevin Durant has left nothing to prove on an individual level. He's cemented his legacy as one of the league's most talented and best scorers ever. However, not winning a championship outside of Golden State continues to overshadow that.
Durant has had his shot at doing so in Brooklyn, but it didn't turn out well. KD was the best player and a true professional during his tenure with the Nets, but critics continue taking jabs at him for not winning a ring there. Durant enters another season with legitimate prospects of winning a ring.
He's on one of the most star-studded rosters this summer alongside Devin Booker, Bradley Beal and Deandre Ayton. The Suns have added some decent role players, with Eric Gordon as their marquee free-agency acquisition.
The Suns will be coached by a proven candidate in Frank Vogel, who led LeBron James and the LA Lakers to a championship in the 2019-20 season. That's another dynamic to look at, as critics will likely compare Vogel's championship-winning season with LeBron to his debut season coaching Durant and the Suns.
