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Steve Kerr and the 73-9 Golden State Warriors acquired Kevin Durant after historically blowing a 3-1 lead in the 2016 NBA Finals. There was clear pressure on their coach to deliver after adding an all-time great player to their team and dominating the league for years.
Everyone in the NBA knew that the Warriors had to win at least one championship following KD’s stunning move.
On the "Point Forward" podcast, Kerr, now a four-time champion coach, described what would have happened had they failed:
“When we had KD, it would have been a disaster if we didn’t win.”
If they didn’t win a single title with Durant, the Golden State Warriors would have been seen in a hugely different light. There were already questions surrounding the 2015 championship as LeBron James didn’t have Kevin Love by his side and Kyrie Irving only played one game.
James would prove a year later that when he has a full supporting cast, he can carry the team against seemingly insurmountable odds. Fortunately, Steve Kerr and the Bay Area team didn’t drop the ball when KD was around.
The Cleveland Cavaliers have had almost no chance of winning those championship rounds once Kevin Durant joined the Splash Bros. They could have won a grand slam had KD and Klay Thompson not suffered gruesome injuries against the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 NBA Finals.
As much as Steve Kerr was pressured to lead the team to the title, Kevin Durant was just as expected to finally get over the hump. The superstar forward left the OKC Thunder immediately after they gave up a 3-1 lead to the same Warriors team he joined.
Extreme pressure forced both to be at their best, and the NBA had no answer for their combined skills and drive.
Kevin Durant eventually left Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors
By KD’s third year with the Golden State Warriors, he already had a testy relationship with a few of his teammates. Almost everyone knew or expected that he would eventually move out of Oakland after helping the team win back-to-back NBA titles.
Steve Kerr later defended Durant’s decision, saying that the walking mismatch was ready to take on a different challenge. The former MVP took his talents to Brooklyn, forming a super team with close buddy Kyrie Irving.
Three years after leaving the Warriors, KD is staring at another career-altering situation as Irving could leave him hanging without a title. They’ve won only one playoff series together and may not win another game together again if the enigmatic point guard bolts out of Brooklyn.
Meanwhile, Steve Kerr and the Golden State Warriors are just a week removed from a wild party in San Francisco following another title.
Playing and winning with the Warriors eased some of the pressure on Durant back then. That may not be a closed door altogether, given how things are going with him, Kyrie Irving and the Brooklyn Nets.
Guess the Lakers players!
