Finally. At last. It's about time. Just a few expressions that had to be running through the mind of former NBA MVP and 4-time NBA scoring champion Kevin Durant who can now be regarded as a champion after finally getting the monkey off his back by adding a Larry O'Brien Trophy to an already impressive resume following Golden State's 129-120 win over the defending champion Cleveland Cavaliers last night in front of a max capacity crowd. After being on the losing end to a LeBron James-led team in his first NBA Finals experience back in 2012, Durant appeared much hungrier in his second go around, leading his team in scoring in all five games and averaging 35.2 Points Per Game, 8.4 Rebounds and 5.4 Assists, while shooting 60 for 102 from the floor (.588) and earning Finals MVP honors in his first year with the team. Something only Moses Malone (1983) and Magic Johnson (1980) had done before him. By pouring in 39-points in last night's series-clincher, the 28-year old Durant joined an elite class of players as only Jerry West, LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki managed to average more career playoff points at the time of their first NBA title.
Avenging last year's heart-wrenching loss in which the Warriors became the first team in NBA Finals history to blow a 3-1 series lead, Golden State made quick work of their counterparts, needing only five games to seal the series and claim their second title in three years. Though he wasn't with the team at the time, the heartbreak of blowing that 3-1 lead was also shared by Durant who saw the Warriors storm back from a 3-1 deficit in the Western Conference Finals against Durant's then Oklahoma City Thunder. Both collapses would prompt Durant to leave and the Warriors to pursue him, making for what would ultimately be a mach made in heaven as evident by their remarkable run in this year's playoffs. Finishing 16-1 along their chase to the title, this year's Golden State team has to be up there among the greatest runs in NBA history for their pure dominance. And had it not been for a blowout defeat at Cleveland in Game 4, the Warriors would've been the first to go a perfect 16-0 in the postseason. But it's not just this postseason that's been impressive.
Led by head coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors have stringed together one of the greatest three year stretches of all-time. After claiming the franchise's first NBA title since 1975 in 2015, the Warriors followed that up with an all-time great regular season record of 74-9 as well as another trip to the Finals and managed to bookend it with another NBA title. Had it not been for the 3-1 collapse in which the Cavs climbed their way back to pry the championship away from Golden State's grasp just a season ago, we'd be looking at the first three-peat since the Kobe-Shaq Lakers of the early 2000's. In what's become somewhat of a rivalry, Cavs-Warriors has certainly become must-watch TV over the past few seasons and last night's Game 5 was no different and the viewers would agree as it gained the highest rating for an NBA game since Game 5 of the 1998 NBA Finals. Generating a 16.0 metered market rating, ratings shot up 13 percent from the Game 5's of each of the past two years when these two teams met.
The Real MVP - Immediately following the game, it was only appropriate that Durant was greeted on the floor by his mother Wanda who Kevin based much of his memorable MVP speech around after the 2014 season. The two shared a moment and were brought to tears as confetti fell from the rafters at Oakland's Oracle Arena. Not shying away from his emotions, Durant hasn't been one to shy away on the game's biggest stage either as he became one of only three players to score 25 points or more in each of his first 10 NBA Finals games, joining only Michael Jordan and Shaquille O'Neal. Durant also received a congratulatory hug and handshake from LeBron who Durant told they're, "tied up now" at an even 1-1 against one another in the Finals and that they'll, "have to do this again." Assuming Durant returns to play for the Warriors next season and chooses not to exercise the opt-out clause in his contract, both teams are perennial favorites to make it back to a fourth consecutive NBA Finals next year. And I'm sure we'd be treated to yet another show between LeBron and Durant if they met up as both players were equally good against one another when guarding each other in this series. While Durant scored 43 points and shot 18-for-30 from the floor including 4-for-11 from three with James guarding him, LeBron scored 44 points on 18-for-32 shooting and an identical 4-for-11 from three with Durant guarding him.
Despite becoming the fourth player and first NBA MVP to lose in five NBA Finals, the 32-year old LeBron averaged the first triple-double in NBA Finals history by posting 33.6 Points Per Game, 12.0 Rebounds and 10.0 Assists to further his claim for the greatest of all-time in his seventh consecutive Finals appearance. Sure it's another Finals loss to his belt, but like LeBron said in his post-game presser, "I left everything I had out on the floor every single game for all five games", doing all he could while receiving minimal help from his teammates. A much different approach than the one he took two years ago when he sat at his locker for nearly an hour with a towel over his head. Even when LeBron was on the sideline getting the little rest he received (28 minutes), the Cavs were outscored by 27 points in the series.
With another ring to his resume, Warriors coach Steve Kerr adds ring No. 7 to his mantle after winning 5 as a player with the Bulls and Spurs. As for someone else destined for the Hall of Fame who waited even longer than Durant for his first Championship ring, Steve Nash can finally say he's got one. After playing 20 seasons with the Mavericks, Suns and Lakers and never making it past the Conference Finals, 2-time league MVP Steve Nash joined the Warriors following their 2015 title run as a player development consultant as was one of the first people to receive a hug from Kevin Durant in the tunnel as the players made it from the floor towards the locker room. With Durant being one of the players Nash worked the most with during the season, the two can now share in common that they've got a Championship ring on the way, regardless of how they got it. With the sole mission of winning a ring being the reason Durant signed with Golden State during the offseason which sparked plenty of criticism, he can finally sleep well knowing his decision payed off as a success.
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The moment the buzzer sounded after the Oklahoma City Thunder failed to put the Golden State Warriors out of their misery in the Western Conference Finals, allowing the defending champs to overcome a 3-1 deficit and make it to their second consecutive Finals appearance, Kevin Durant was as good as gone. But where he would decide to take his talents was anybodies guess, with meetings scheduled with the Warriors, Spurs, Clipppers, Celtics, Heat and of course the Thunder. Sure the idea to team up in the Bay Area with Steph Curry and company was a logical one, but we didn't think it would actually happen. Whether it be financial problems or just plain old chemistry issues due to adding yet another superstar to a squad that already has three, KD to Golden State -- the team that just handed him and the Thunder franchise arguably their most crushing defeat, wins the Durant sweepstakes and hands Oklahoma City yet another punch to the gut. But hey, at least Durant was courteous enough to announce his decision on the Fourth of July, making it easier for the pyro's living in Oklahoma to burn their jersey's.
With the salary cap increasing by $24 Million this offseason, the timing was perfect for the Warriors, enabling them to acquire another superstar talent to add to their already star-studded lineup. After setting a record for the most wins in a regular season with 74, the Warriors now have a chance to be even greater than they were in 2015-16, thanks to the signing of Durant. Not to mention Oklahoma City, one of Golden State's biggest threats out west, is now hampered with the departure of their former MVP. With the signing of Durant who agreed to a 2 year, $54.3 Million deal with a player option after the first year, now come the lofty expectations of delivering a championship, something Durant has come close to, four years removed from his only NBA Finals appearance, but has yet to accomplish. Anything short of back-to-back titles for Golden State in 2015-16 was already deemed a failure considering their record-setting regular season, but the pressure to deliver a title will be even higher this coming season. After blowing a 3-1 lead to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for the first time ever, head coach Steve Kerr knew work needed to be done and adjustments needed to be made in order to climb back to the hilltop of greatness and become champions once again. Landing Durant was their answer.
While many criticized LeBron James in the summer of 2010 for making the unpopular decision to leave the Cavs for the sunny beaches of Miami, Durant's decision has also had its fair share of critics, but nowhere near the magnitude of LeBron's. In some ways it's worse and in others it's not quite on par on the hate-o-meter and here's why. James' decision was not only criticized because he left his home state of Ohio, but because the manner in which he made it. As if announcing in front of a live television crew that he would take his talents to South Beach didn't rub people the wrong way, his WWE-like introduction alongside best friend Dwayne Wade and All-Star teammate Chris Bosh where he told the world they would win "not five, not six, not seven..." NBA titles, sealed the deal for most people. But Durant isn't leaving the area in which he was born and raised in, nor was he brought up and brought in to be the savior out of high school like James was.
As for a few reason's it's just as bad if not worse, Kevin Durant is all Oklahoma City fans have ever known. Since being drafted in 2007 by the Thunder, known then as the Seattle SuperSonics, OKC fans have watched Durant grow and develop into one of the game's elite players right before their very eyes. He now leaves them to chase a ring, joining the enemy in the process. And unlike Cleveland's situation when LeBron left, the Thunder are the only major sports franchise in the city (hell, in the state for that matter) which is why they've been so loyal and invested in the team since relocating from Seattle. Durant's contributions inside the Oklahoma City community will never be forgotten, but I think it's safe to say he'll be showered with boo's every time he touches the ball when the Warriors pay a visit to Chesapeake Arena next season. To their credit, the Thunder franchise and their fans were a little more prepared for life after Durant than Cleveland was when LeBron left the Cavs. It wasn't for a lack of help as was the case in Cleveland, but with former Sixth Man of the Year James Harden long gone and both Durant and Serge Ibaka now out the door, the 2016-17 Oklahoma City Thunder will be an entirely different team than the one that made it's lone NBA Finals appearance in 2012 as the reigns are now handed to Russell Westbrook who's departure from the franchise may be next.
With the future of fellow superstar and teammate of Durant's for eight seasons, Russell Westbrook also uncertain, who will become a free-agent following next season, Durant wasn't exactly promised that his sidekick and partner in crime would be there after next season had he re-signed long-term with OKC. While the possibility of Durant returning to the Thunder the same way LeBron did the Cavs, could present itself say if Golden State wins a title in Durant's first year with the team, he may want to consider being a Warrior for the long haul seeing as they have the potential to be even better than the Heat were when James, Wade, Bosh and Ray Allen teamed up in Miami. With Durant, Curry, Thompson and Green all under the age of 29, younger than Wade was when Miami's super team was formed in 2010, Durant could be part of a dynasty for many seasons to come if he chooses to stay with the Warriors past this season. With an Olympic gold medal, Rookie of the Year Award, four NBA-scoring titles, seven All-Star appearances and an MVP Award to show for, the only thing missing in Durant's trophy case is an NBA title. And for the first time in his career, he'll be on a team that's the odds on favorite to win it all and add to that case heading into the season.
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With a vacancy in their head coaching position, the Los Angeles Lakers have found their man. After finishing the past three regular seasons with the worst record in franchise history and diminishing win totals of 27, 21 and 19, the Lakers are ready to start off on a clean slate. And they'll be doing so under newly hired head coach Luke Walton. Name sound familiar? That's because it wasn't long ago that Walton was on the court playing for the Lakers where he spent nine years as a fan favorite. And now both Laker fans and the front-office are hoping that will continue as he returns back to the Lakers bench, only this time with a suit and tie on instead of a jersey.
Hired to become the 26th head coach in franchise history, Walton, son of NBA Hall of Famer Bill Walton, joins a long list of names of former Laker players who later went on to coach the team. Impressive names with the likes of George Mikan, Jim Pollard, Jerry West, Pat Riley, Magic Johnson, Kurt Rambis and most recently -- Byron Scott who was relieved of his duties after just two seasons. Thus making Walton the eighth former Lakers player turned coach. However, of the seven others before him, only three of those names have finished their tenure with a winning record. And only two if you're counting a full season's worth of work. With Walton being the eighth Lakers coach to have also donned the purple and gold as a player, it's safe to say the Lakers prefer to keep it in the family by hiring one of their own. And hopefully this one works out better than the last one did.
After capturing only 38 combined wins in two seasons under Scott, the Lakers are hoping to have much more success under Walton who was twice named coach of the month this season while filling in for Steve Kerr as the intern head coach of the Golden State Warriors, whom he led to a 39-4 record, including a blazing 24-0 start. Following Kerr's return back to the Warriors bench after recovering from back surgery, the Warriors went on to assemble the greatest regular season in NBA history, finishing with an all-time best record of 73-9, narrowing the 72-10 mark previously held by the team that Kerr coincidentally played for -- the '95-'96 Chicago Bulls. Because of the accomplishment, Kerr would be named Coach of the Year for the second consecutive season, while many believed the award should've gone to Walton or at the very least share the award with co-Coach of the Year honors. Unfortunately for Walton, that wouldn't be the case. But at least his time in the driver seat helped skyrocket both his stock and interest in landing a head coaching job.
Two years removed from being a part-time assistant coach in the NBA's Developmental League, Walton, who becomes the youngest active head coach in the league at just 36 years of age, will now takeover the most winningest franchise in the NBA. Having grown up in Southern California and later playing for the team he lived just a stones throw away from, the hiring of Walton could be the perfect fit in L.A. Or it could be another Byron Scott-type disaster that we were more than excited for at first, and later ended up hating. At first glance, Walton doesn't seem like the type of hire you'd make when looking to help develop players which is exactly what the Lakers are in need of with their crop of young players led by Julius Randle and DeAngelo Russell. Then again, Walton could be the perfect man for the job, knocking it out of the park and proving us all wrong. The truth is, only time will tell. And whether or not the Lakers organization might not want to admit it, regardless of who it was they decided to hire, the next man for the job was going to need plenty of that to help get the Lakers back into winning form -- time. Entering year three of the Lakers current reconstruction, the front-office will have to show patience with Walton, something they showed very little of with Byron Scott calling the plays. And with Walton reportedly agreeing to a five-year deal, four of which guaranteed at an amount not yet made public, they appear to be understanding.
Smart move or not by Walton with many believing he jumped the gun and should've returned to Golden State for at least another year, he might not have had the opportunity to land his dream job again if he chose to wait it out another season. Sure leaving an organization that is currently atop the basketball world in both popularity and excitement, not to mention has the talent to become a dynasty, seems hard, but jobs like the one Walton just agreed to take don't come around too often. Though it was only a small sample size, we've seen how well Walton can coach a roster full of stars and talented players in their prime including the league's MVP, now lets see how well he can coach a bunch of youngsters still looking to make a name for themselves and whether or not he can help guide the Lakers franchise back to prominence as they look to end their dry spell of missing the playoffs for a franchise worst three consecutive seasons. And with a young team in hand already, the Lakers are expected to get even younger as they hope to strike gold in this month's NBA Draft Lottery and perhaps even in free-agency after striking out in each of the last three seasons.
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