When Kevin Durant soured Independence Day for 29 NBA fanbases by announcing Warriors signing with open letter: "The Hardest Road"

During the summer of 2016, Kevin Durant found himself with an important decision. Either stay with the OKC Thunder, or test the open market in free agency.

As an MVP-level player, Kevin Durant was sought out by just about every team in the NBA. In the end, his decision left fans heartbroken and outraged.

On July 4, KD announced to the world where he will be playing basketball. Thanks to a spike in the NBA cap, the Golden State Warriors were able to open up a max slot. Fresh off a season where they went 73-9, the Warriors were adding another elite talent to their mix.

When discussing the decision, Durant opened up on how going to Golden State was the "hardest road" for him:

“Nothing in this league is easy. There’s no shortcut. This is the hardest road because I don’t know anybody here. I’ve never lived in this community. … This is not the easiest situation because I’m out of my comfort zone.”

Durant went on to play three seasons with the Warriors. In that time, he added two championships to his resume along with two Finals MVPs.

Kevin Durant once again finds himself on a superteam

Following his three seasons with the Golden State Warriors, Kevin Durant was once again on the moves. He and Kyrie Irving decided to join forces and build their own juggernaut on the Brooklyn Nets.

Expectations were high when this duo came together, and they ended up falling way short. In his third season with the Nets, Durant asked the front office to trade him after Irving was shipped to the Dallas Mavericks.

Brooklyn granted this request and moved him to the Phoenix Suns in a mega-deal. In their first half-season, the new-look Suns made it to the second round of the playoffs before being eliminated by the Denver Nuggets.

This offseason, the Suns made massive changes to increase their title odds. After requesting a trade from the Washington Wizards, Bradley Beal now also finds himself in Phoenix.

Following this blockbuster trade, Durant once again finds himself surrounded by an array of All-Star talents. With a core of Durant, Devin Booker, Beal and Deandre Ayton, the Suns are at the top of the list of title favorites in 2024.