Speaker 1: Dubb Dynasty as a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA.
Speaker 2: With the second pick in the two thousand and seven
Speaker 2: NBA Draft, the Seattle SuperSonics select Kevin Durant from the
Speaker 2: University of Texas.
Speaker 1: The realization of a dream.
Speaker 3: This young man from Switzerland, Maryland, who was still age eighteen,
Speaker 3: went to Texas for one year, was the consensus National
Speaker 3: player of the year. No freshman ever has been the
Speaker 3: consensus National player.
Speaker 4: Of the year.
Speaker 5: Then it comes to Durant, He's gonna try to win it,
Speaker 5: Durand that's a three pointer.
Speaker 6: Of the Sonics with the ball game.
Speaker 1: Rives, lay up talk by Durant, army back to the.
Speaker 7: Land and for the laft out of Bowl.
Speaker 5: Splosh, I was just puffed away Tilson and Zappalochaipu. Durant
Speaker 5: to labasket, unders and fires it down to Lavast.
Speaker 1: What a long drive durt to drive.
Speaker 5: Dan what before.
Speaker 3: Today?
Speaker 8: Seven times?
Speaker 1: Those were some highlights of Kevin Durant's time in the
Speaker 1: NBA before he won an NBA championship. From getting drafted
Speaker 1: in two thousand and seven, to his debut season, which
Speaker 1: was the final one for the SuperSonics in Seattle, to
Speaker 1: his Finals appearance with the Thunder in twenty twelve to
Speaker 1: his MVP season in Oklahoma City in twenty fourteen. I'm
Speaker 1: Israel Gutierrez and this is dubbed dynasty. Almost from the
Speaker 1: moment he was drafted, Kevin Durant was projected to be
Speaker 1: one of the most gifted scorers in the league. It
Speaker 1: was thought he would challenge, if not surpassed, the league's
Speaker 1: other greats, whether it was an aging Kobe Bryant or
Speaker 1: a vibrant Lebron James in his prime. By the time
Speaker 1: Durant's career was.
Speaker 3: Done, is there a player out there that you're looking
Speaker 3: at that motivates you?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 9: Who's that?
Speaker 4: Keavin Durant?
Speaker 6: Why?
Speaker 4: I feel like he's next to the line.
Speaker 1: For most of us, we'd envisioned all of, if not
Speaker 1: some of that success coming in Oklahoma City, where he'd
Speaker 1: continue his path to be one of the greats and
Speaker 1: pick up a championship or more along the way. He
Speaker 1: didn't win an Okase, just the one finals appearance, and
Speaker 1: after making the controversial move to Golden State, Durant could
Speaker 1: finally see the championship on the horizon and a lifelong
Speaker 1: goal about to be accomplished, but would it look or
Speaker 1: feel anything like he'd dreamed now that he's on a
Speaker 1: team dubbed too Talented to fail. Last We Left You,
Speaker 1: Durant was facing the possibility of failing. He and the
Speaker 1: Warriors were in the Western Conference Finals against the San
Speaker 1: Antonio Spurs, having not dropped a single game in the playoffs,
Speaker 1: but Kawhi Leonard was cooking in Game one in Oakland.
Speaker 1: With twenty six points through about twenty eight minutes of play,
Speaker 1: the Spurs were stunning the Oakland crowd, leading the Juggernaut
Speaker 1: Warriors by twenty one points.
Speaker 5: Leonard drives muscles his way inside of scores chants for
Speaker 5: a three point play.
Speaker 1: Then, with about eight minutes left in the third Leonard
Speaker 1: received the screen from LaMarcus Aldridge. The Warriors defender switched,
Speaker 1: and with the shot clock under three seconds, Leonard rose
Speaker 1: up for a long two pointer in the left corner
Speaker 1: with a closing Jajah Peculia trying to contest. Peculia's final
Speaker 1: step on his close out ended up in Leonard's landing space,
Speaker 1: and the resulting foot to foot contact would turn the
Speaker 1: game and the series on its head.
Speaker 7: O'clock at eight, Aldrich pushing off on Peturia. Leonard fires
Speaker 7: from the corner and Leonard goes down again.
Speaker 5: And he's in pain again in front of the Spurs
Speaker 5: bench and a Leonard gingerly getting up.
Speaker 4: Again.
Speaker 5: That's what they call all the time, when you get
Speaker 5: your feet into the landing space of the shooter, an
Speaker 5: ankle taking a pounding year of the third quarter, one
Speaker 5: that was already sore.
Speaker 1: As Green pointed out, this wasn't the first time Leonard's
Speaker 1: ankle was stressed in this game. Earlier, Kawhi turned it
Speaker 1: after landing on a teammate's foot. You might remember that
Speaker 1: Spur it was former Warrior David Lee, who'd spent his
Speaker 1: final season in San Antonio.
Speaker 5: Leonard answers back a corner three and Leonards hurt. I
Speaker 5: think on his own guy at about the Spurs wanted
Speaker 5: to stop the clock and Kawhi Leonard is hurt and
Speaker 5: you can see he's upset.
Speaker 1: Just what every kid did on a playground, you tighten
Speaker 1: up that sneaker. And it was in his previous series
Speaker 1: against the Rockets that Leonard initially turned the end. So
Speaker 1: it was already coming into these conference finals vulnerable to
Speaker 1: further damage. Here's Josha wants your sprain ankle.
Speaker 4: It takes weeks to get it right, not only like
Speaker 4: you know, to get it right by you to strengthening
Speaker 4: a game, to get back to normal. It takes weeks.
Speaker 4: So obviously we go during the playoffs. The only thing
Speaker 4: you can do tape it like twice, you know, really
Speaker 4: stabilize it. But ankle is weak. Actually he was playing
Speaker 4: made out of his mind. I knew they that ankle,
Speaker 4: like I really give him so much credit, and you
Speaker 4: know that's amazing character. You know Sprain and Colorati too
Speaker 4: in conference final. And not only he's playing great offensively,
Speaker 4: but defensively kad is I don't want to say no show,
Speaker 4: but he's strucking because you know Kauai is knowing, as
Speaker 4: you know, stop defensive players, stop her with his hands
Speaker 4: and I Q So we down first.
Speaker 1: Game down and doubted there was no Tim Duncan. But
Speaker 1: these were still the Spurs, coached by one of Steve
Speaker 1: Kerr's mentors in Greg Popovich, and following many of the
Speaker 1: same basketball principles the Warriors do. This is where the
Speaker 1: conjecture gets hot and heavy. Did Peculia extend his leg purposely?
Speaker 1: How would game one end if Kawhi was healthy. How
Speaker 1: would the series end if Kawhi was healthy? Petculia can
Speaker 1: answer that first part emphatically. He absolutely did not attempt
Speaker 1: to injure Lennard. And if you've ever spoken to Peculia,
Speaker 1: you tend to believe him.
Speaker 10: Here's his side of the tail. Steve doesn't like when
Speaker 10: you file three point shooter. He hates it because there
Speaker 10: can be a momentum play right false okay, like you know,
Speaker 10: regular file two points like two free throws right, but
Speaker 10: not three okay. And I remember the moment the ball
Speaker 10: goes up in the air, so I challenge it that
Speaker 10: I start watching the ball. I start watching the ball.
Speaker 10: But you know, when you rotate your momentum, because I'm
Speaker 10: six to eleven right to two hundred and seventy five pounds,
Speaker 10: So when I'm going towards something, it's hard to stop. Obviously,
Speaker 10: it starts to stop yourself because you know, again it
Speaker 10: was a hard rotation because I didn't want to give
Speaker 10: up the wide open three. And then I remember I
Speaker 10: didn't touch his hand, like there was no concert or
Speaker 10: you know, body wise, no contacts. Say, I hear the
Speaker 10: whistle and in my mind going like it was going
Speaker 10: on that like, that's not a foul, Like I didn't
Speaker 10: touch him. So I was shocked because now I hated.
Speaker 10: I hate to make mistakes. It's a conference finals, guys,
Speaker 10: like you know, it's not a regular season. It's okay
Speaker 10: to make a mistake. No, it's not, because one miscommunication
Speaker 10: one this kind of the foul can cost you a game.
Speaker 10: It can cost you like the season and the championship.
Speaker 4: Right. So I'm not the young I'm thirty something years old,
Speaker 4: so i understand imponents of the mistakes. So I'm frustrated
Speaker 4: for the bad call, and I start running away from
Speaker 4: the from the referee, and in the middle of the court,
Speaker 4: Pau Gasol was standing there, and I looked at him
Speaker 4: and said, Paul, that's such a BS call. And then
Speaker 4: I turn around, like literally, I turn around, and then
Speaker 4: I see somebody is down and the whole bench is
Speaker 4: around here, and I said, what happened, Pau, And Paul says,
Speaker 4: I don't know, So I said, obviously, then I've realized
Speaker 4: that Kawhi was now but I had no idea what
Speaker 4: would happened? Is he just like he left the corp.
Speaker 1: The Spurs were leading seventy eight to fifty five when
Speaker 1: Leonard left the floor for good. With the shock of
Speaker 1: Kawhi Gon and the Warriors in comeback mode, Golden State
Speaker 1: scored the game's next eighteen points, all.
Speaker 5: Chipped out to Durant, back to Tompson for three time.
Speaker 5: Jenob we trying to draw the fowl Curry a two
Speaker 5: quarter puts it. They're trying to draw the Warriors taking
Speaker 5: out a rhythm Curry with the Steel ahead to Durant.
Speaker 1: Durant drawn out. San Antonio still managed to fight and
Speaker 1: were up eleven in the opening moments of the fourth quarter,
Speaker 1: and with two twelve remaining, the Spurs were still holding
Speaker 1: a three point lead until Steph Curry put the final
Speaker 1: touches on the comeback win.
Speaker 5: All tipped again picked up by Curry Curry for three.
Speaker 1: It's come tie game.
Speaker 5: The Rants got gentlele on a given gold carry place
Speaker 5: it in.
Speaker 10: They called the.
Speaker 5: Goal tend, not golf. The rim early a goal tend
Speaker 5: and that's a five point.
Speaker 1: Lead for the Lord.
Speaker 5: Bill's Missus lead bout tip to not Ti. The Warriors survived,
Speaker 5: but take carey one.
Speaker 1: After the game, Spurs coach Greg Popovich was still quite upset,
Speaker 1: even bringing up multiple physical altercations Peculia had in his
Speaker 1: recent NBA history.
Speaker 11: A two step lead with your foot closing out. He's
Speaker 11: not a program. It's dangerous, it's on sportsmanlife. It's just
Speaker 11: not what anybody does to anybody.
Speaker 1: Popovich's fure certainly stoked the fire after with Peculia being
Speaker 1: painted as a dirty play. It also didn't help that
Speaker 1: the two forces and their respective conferences were so dominant
Speaker 1: in these playoffs. There wasn't much else to discuss to
Speaker 1: this point in the postseason. Neither the Warriors nor the
Speaker 1: Caves had lost the game. The Cavaliers would go on
Speaker 1: to lose just one before getting to the finals, so
Speaker 1: everyone would pounce some Peculia. Well, Peculia was just trying
Speaker 1: to get a message across to Leonard himself.
Speaker 4: I texted him. I texted, I said, I said, hey, man,
Speaker 4: I have so much respect for you. I just want
Speaker 4: you to know from me. That was not in purpose.
Speaker 4: I couldn't control that, right, So I found his number,
Speaker 4: I texted him, and that's all I cared about. But
Speaker 4: then in console the media, the people, right fans, I
Speaker 4: can't control that, So I say, you know what, Yeah,
Speaker 4: I worried of course I wore it, didn't you know
Speaker 4: you would because I knew there was not the case.
Speaker 4: How can you do it? Like, how can to me?
Speaker 4: I can't. I can't even think about how he purposely
Speaker 4: can't do that, like really aimed after thirteen years in
Speaker 4: this season because you never happened before, right, So I
Speaker 4: was waiting for this moment for thirteen years. I knew
Speaker 4: we were going to be down against you know, Western
Speaker 4: Conference Finals, and I say, it just absurd, it's not realistic.
Speaker 4: And yeah, there was too much noise. Even though it's
Speaker 4: easier to say like not to worry about it, but
Speaker 4: I was, I'll be honest. But at the same time,
Speaker 4: I was keep reminding myself, like control whatever is in
Speaker 4: your hand. I texted Kawai and I got a lot
Speaker 4: of text messages from my teammates, you know, so support Kawhi. Yeah,
Speaker 4: we communicated. Yeah, we did the communication, and he said
Speaker 4: it actually after the game in press conference days. I
Speaker 4: don't think it was intentional.
Speaker 1: Curry and Durant combined for seventy four in that game,
Speaker 1: one win, and without the resistance of Leonard, the Warriors
Speaker 1: coasted to wins of thirty six, twelve, and fourteen points
Speaker 1: to it to their third straight NBA Finals.
Speaker 5: As the Warriors are headed to the NBA Finals for
Speaker 5: the third consecutive year.
Speaker 1: To this point, the Warriors' dominance was just as predicted.
Speaker 1: They were just the third team to sweep the first
Speaker 1: three rounds of the playoffs, along with the eighty three
Speaker 1: six Ers and the one Lakers, and it was doing
Speaker 1: nothing to quiet those who were critical of Kevin Durant
Speaker 1: for joining the championship ready Warriors. Golden State needed a challenge,
Speaker 1: at least in the eyes of sports purists, and all
Speaker 1: that was left was the same team that faced the
Speaker 1: previous two finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only were the
Speaker 1: NBA Finals old hat to many of these Warriors, but
Speaker 1: playing against Lebron in this series was also not to Durant. However,
Speaker 1: he hadn't faced Lebron in the finals in five seasons,
Speaker 1: and he'd never won a title, while all the primary
Speaker 1: parties on both teams already had. Despite that, JaVale McGee
Speaker 1: doesn't recall much win one for Kadie talk throughout that
Speaker 1: season or in the playoffs.
Speaker 9: I think everybody just went out there to be a professional,
Speaker 9: and I played basketball and we knew if we win,
Speaker 9: that's the only way we can defend KD. And if
Speaker 9: we keep winning. We never had like internal conversations like, hey,
Speaker 9: we need to protect KD. Mainly because he's a grown man,
Speaker 9: so I'm sure he'll be okay.
Speaker 1: Durant was beyond okay. In his first two Finals games
Speaker 1: with Golden State, he'd score thirty eight and thirty three, respectively,
Speaker 1: and then in Game three in Cleveland, he put up
Speaker 1: another efficient thirty one, but it was the final few
Speaker 1: points that'll be remembered most. With two nineteen left, Steph
Speaker 1: Curry narrowed the Cavaliers lead before Durant took over from back.
Speaker 7: Games go, Durant Thompson on the switch, Durant drives.
Speaker 1: That's a great look. It finishes.
Speaker 7: It's too easy. After the switch James with.
Speaker 5: Eight to shoot. James pulls back, drives again, kicks it
Speaker 5: out cover corner three and kenned the fall rebound. Durant
Speaker 5: Duran for three.
Speaker 1: An's good.
Speaker 5: Kevin Durant from towntown and Golden State takes the lead.
Speaker 5: Duran has it corver all over him and there's the coal.
Speaker 5: Kevin Durant a great free throw shooter and suddenly this
Speaker 5: building stunned by a quick turn of events.
Speaker 1: The stunning three pointer Durant confidently took over a surprised
Speaker 1: Lebron James will likely be Durant's signature championship moment because
Speaker 1: despite the opponent, there wasn't much of a challenge. The
Speaker 1: Warriors did drop Game four in Cleveland, allowing them to
Speaker 1: celebrate the championship at home with a relatively easy game
Speaker 1: five ways.
Speaker 8: The road to redemption that has the Warriors back home.
Speaker 7: Warriors are about two thousand seventeen champion.
Speaker 12: That split second was just what it's all for.
Speaker 4: That two or three seconds.
Speaker 9: Soon as the buzzer sound, I swear it was about.
Speaker 1: Fore Durant was a champion in his tenth season in
Speaker 1: the league, and he might have just won it as
Speaker 1: a member of the greatest team ever. That last part
Speaker 1: will forever be up for debate, but not the championship part.
Speaker 11: This seems like a dream wide away.
Speaker 1: This, according to Slater, felt like everything it was supposed
Speaker 1: to for KD in that celebratory moment, although a.
Speaker 6: Lot like the outside world viewed it as man this
Speaker 6: was an easy title like it was that first one,
Speaker 6: was really celebrated hard, especially by him. I remember he
Speaker 6: was a Finals MVP. He was with his mom, meeting
Speaker 6: with Bill Russell, taking pictures with Bill Russell, and like
Speaker 6: it felt like the pinnacle moment that he went there
Speaker 6: to have. And then there's the famous video of him
Speaker 6: leaving Oracle that night in his I believe it was
Speaker 6: a Tesla when Tesla was like, wow, this guy. You know,
Speaker 6: this guy's got a Tesla and he gets out of
Speaker 6: the car. He's not driving, by the way. I remember,
Speaker 6: he's in the passenger seat because obviously he had had
Speaker 6: a few things to drink. And he gets out in
Speaker 6: the whole Warriors crowd in the Oracle parking lot swarms
Speaker 6: him and he's like holding up the trophy, and that,
Speaker 6: to me has always been like that was the pinnacle
Speaker 6: moment of the Kevin Durant era.
Speaker 1: The moment, however, wouldn't last as long as Durant envisioned.
Speaker 1: That's because after the championship and the ease with which
Speaker 1: it came, Durant wasn't allowed to bask in his glory
Speaker 1: from atop the sports world. He was still defending himself
Speaker 1: for deciding to play with the Warriors and making it
Speaker 1: all look so easy here, slave.
Speaker 6: This was an all time great at the peak of
Speaker 6: his powers succeeding and being told that, like, you know,
Speaker 6: who cares. You know, it was an easy path to
Speaker 6: do it, and you know that frustrated him. And he's
Speaker 6: given interviews and I've even talked to him a little
Speaker 6: bit in that aftermath those next couple of seasons that
Speaker 6: he definitely came to grips over that, probably that week
Speaker 6: after the title, but certainly in the years after that,
Speaker 6: Like and other athletes have said this, like they just
Speaker 6: are they obsess over getting the title, and he had
Speaker 6: had so many close calls in Oklahoma City, and like
Speaker 6: he just it burned him to get the title. And
Speaker 6: then you get it and then you celebrate and you know,
Speaker 6: because it's happened, and then you wake up the next
Speaker 6: day and it's like same life, same issues I may
Speaker 6: have had outside the court saying, you know, like it's
Speaker 6: not as fulfilling as you thought it might have been.
Speaker 6: And then of course, you know, his was wrapped into
Speaker 6: like the criticisms of how he did it, and you
Speaker 6: know the fact that he's sitting there going, look, I've
Speaker 6: kind of just proved I was the best player in
Speaker 6: the world.
Speaker 1: Probably the most painful singer in Durant's direction, and certainly
Speaker 1: the most memorable, came just one month after the championship
Speaker 1: at the SB Awards, where the world is supposed to
Speaker 1: celebrate the greatest athletes and their accomplishments. A former pro athlete,
Speaker 1: Peyton Manning was the host, and then his opening monologue,
Speaker 1: he directed a joke at Durant that didn't appear to
Speaker 1: land well with the reigning finals MVP.
Speaker 12: I love that the final five won the most Olympic
Speaker 12: medals of any US women's gymnastics team ever, and our
Speaker 12: gymnastics team was so dominant that Kevin Durant told me
Speaker 12: he wants to play for them next year. And I
Speaker 12: gotta tell you, I don't think you'd sung for that team. Kevin, Yeah,
Speaker 12: Russell leftro what do you bet?
Speaker 1: The camera cut to Durant immediately after the punchline, and
Speaker 1: he did not appear amused. Wearing a T shirt to
Speaker 1: an awards event was very durant. So was the continued
Speaker 1: blank face he was giving the camera and by extension,
Speaker 1: Peyton Manning and every single hater. This is what the
Speaker 1: off season, and frankly, the remainder of Durant's Golden State
Speaker 1: career would be people discussing the fairness of the Warriors
Speaker 1: or the competitive spirit of Durant making matters worse. About
Speaker 1: a month before Durant's second season started with the Warriors,
Speaker 1: he was exposed for having a burner account on Twitter
Speaker 1: that he'd used to defend himself against often anonymous critics.
Speaker 1: Durant tweeted a response to a user criticizing his exit
Speaker 1: from OKC, writing in the third person quote, he didn't
Speaker 1: like the organization or playing for Billy Donovan. His roster
Speaker 1: wasn't that good. It was just him and Russ. Durant
Speaker 1: added in another tweet, imagine taking Russ off that team,
Speaker 1: see how bad they were. Katie couldn't win a championship
Speaker 1: with those Cats. The only problem was Durant tweeted those
Speaker 1: from his actual verified account, not the burner account he created.
Speaker 4: Whoops.
Speaker 1: Not only did it unleash loud criticism, but Durant was
Speaker 1: viewed as overly sensitive to critics, and it allowed people
Speaker 1: to further dissect one of the league's best players. Durant
Speaker 1: has since said his burner account experience was about living
Speaker 1: a normal life, which speaks to the difficult of living
Speaker 1: as public a life as Durant has. Rachel Nichols has
Speaker 1: watched image transformations happen in the NBA before, including Lebron
Speaker 1: James's switch from a villain his first year in Miami
Speaker 1: to a much more likable person after. She believes that
Speaker 1: the introspect of Durant could have been embraced a bit
Speaker 1: more if he just opened up about his decisions and
Speaker 1: his emotions, so the viewing public can perhaps relate to
Speaker 1: Tad better.
Speaker 13: I think Kevin Durant is somehow underrated. Still, he is
Speaker 13: an exceptional player. I put him higher in my all
Speaker 13: time list than I think a lot of other people do.
Speaker 13: I think because his nature is not to over explain himself.
Speaker 13: I think because he is laid back. I think because
Speaker 13: he doesn't really engage in what the media thinks, even
Speaker 13: though he is very online with what the fans think.
Speaker 13: I think that he didn't articulate his case. He didn't
Speaker 13: feel like he needed to. He shouldn't have to answer
Speaker 13: to anyone. I respect that Kevin Durant can run in
Speaker 13: his life any way he wants, but I think it
Speaker 13: made a big difference and hurt him for years. And
Speaker 13: I think it affected for years his career decisions and choices.
Speaker 13: And I think if he had been able to really
Speaker 13: explain himself how he felt, why he did this, what
Speaker 13: he was getting out of it, beyond just oh and
Speaker 13: now I can win a ring that he wasn't solely
Speaker 13: ring chasing. I think if he had been able to
Speaker 13: connect with fans on that level and made that effort
Speaker 13: to do that, I think it not only would have
Speaker 13: changed the way people felt in subsequent years about the
Speaker 13: Warriors winning titles. I think that Kevin Durant would still
Speaker 13: be in Golden State right now. I think that it
Speaker 13: had that deep an impact, and that if the strategy
Speaker 13: on the marketing and pr had been different, I think
Speaker 13: that that would have changed the course of the way
Speaker 13: the NBA went over the next five to seven years.
Speaker 13: And again, I want to be clear, I don't think
Speaker 13: what Kevin did, the way he played it or people
Speaker 13: advised him, was wrong, because it was Kevin's decision. You
Speaker 13: can do whatever you want, it's your career. But if
Speaker 13: he had done it differently, had he had been comfortable
Speaker 13: or wanted to do it differently, that I think it
Speaker 13: would have had a very very different result.
Speaker 1: A different result in terms of public opinion and perhaps
Speaker 1: whether or not Durant would leave Golden State. But while
Speaker 1: he was there, the results were always great. That's what
Speaker 1: added to a perceived lack of enthusiasm. Regardless of continued excellence,
Speaker 1: the conversations would never be about that. Here's Slater on
Speaker 1: Durant and the Warrior's motivation to repeat.
Speaker 6: I know, Bob Myers is always compared to like you
Speaker 6: climb Mount Everest once and oh, you know, you've done it,
Speaker 6: and then it's like, Okay, now you're back at the
Speaker 6: bottom climbing again. It's just the motivation. So I think
Speaker 6: there was just like a the natural fatiguing nature of
Speaker 6: defending a title wrapped into all of what we're talking
Speaker 6: about with just like the narrative around Kevin Durant, and
Speaker 6: just like the belief of like nothing you do no
Speaker 6: matter how many points you score, no matter how well
Speaker 6: you play this season, Like even if you just rumble
Speaker 6: to a title and you are the Finals MVP and
Speaker 6: you hit signature shots to sweep the Cavaliers, which he did,
Speaker 6: like we won't respect your championship, and you know, the
Speaker 6: Warriors hope was like that. He would just be like
Speaker 6: you know that he like, don't care what these fans say,
Speaker 6: don't care what everybody else does. Just keep racking up
Speaker 6: championship because if you stay here and if you stay committed,
Speaker 6: we will continue to dominate. That was their belief. But
Speaker 6: he fed into what the outside story was about him
Speaker 6: and then then kind of grumbled obviously about it, and
Speaker 6: I would say, kind of receded a little bit into
Speaker 6: you know, not as friendly you know, around the team. Again,
Speaker 6: he probably wouldn't even love the characterization of all this because, like,
Speaker 6: you know, his argument at the time, and he's not wrong.
Speaker 6: Like his play never suffered. He was awesome throughout.
Speaker 1: Durant and the Warriors continued to be awesome in the
Speaker 1: two thousand in seventeen to eighteen season, despite Durant's satisfaction
Speaker 1: likely not matching what he envisioned. The rest of the
Speaker 1: Warriors were golden. They'd gotten their revenge on the Cavaliers,
Speaker 1: and with Durant in the fold for another year at least,
Speaker 1: the vibes were decent. With a season under his belt
Speaker 1: and CURRS system, Durant was putting up a few more shots.
Speaker 1: He didn't match his incredible fifty four percent shooting from
Speaker 1: the previous season, but he did average better than twenty
Speaker 1: six points and was back on the All NBA First team.
Speaker 1: Warriors assistant coach Bruce Frasier would often assist Stephan Durant
Speaker 1: in their workouts, and watching Durant was a whole new
Speaker 1: experience for him.
Speaker 14: The most versatile offensive player I've ever seen, probably the
Speaker 14: most talented offensive I'm not saying just that to say
Speaker 14: he's not a good defender either, but e Lee, you know,
Speaker 14: he's his footwork on the block and the mid head
Speaker 14: range in the elbow area, and you know he can
Speaker 14: facing the baskets with his back to the basket, and
Speaker 14: then you know, off the dribble and range from the league.
Speaker 14: So here's a guy at six'. Twelve they can put
Speaker 14: the ball on the, floor they can shoot it from.
Speaker 14: Anywhere he can keep up With steph and kind of.
Speaker 14: Shooting steff play And kevin used to shoot together at
Speaker 14: times after, practice and he he was he could keep
Speaker 14: up with. Them so and he's six.' TWELVE so, I
Speaker 14: know i keep saying that, whatever is but, he is
Speaker 14: he is an alien and he and he and, you
Speaker 14: know in Credit, to kevin not only not only is he,
Speaker 14: that skilled but he Doesn't miss he doesn't. Miss shots
Speaker 14: he's the most Proficient player i've. Ever seen if you
Speaker 14: ever go To Watch kevin durant work out or watch
Speaker 14: him play in, a game but watch him, work out
Speaker 14: he doesn't miss. Many shots and he's very detailed and
Speaker 14: it matters to him and he steph go to a
Speaker 14: pace in his workouts that most. Players don't kevin matches
Speaker 14: that Pace and kevin goes. Extremely hard and, YOU know
Speaker 14: i Think, for kevin he may enjoy working out and
Speaker 14: being on the floor more than. Even games kevin loves
Speaker 14: when he gets in it because it's Like his it's
Speaker 14: like a it's like meditation. For him when he gets
Speaker 14: into a, good workout the world goes away and he loves.
Speaker 14: The game we used to have a simple warm up
Speaker 14: theme called feet On. The floor kevin would just, come
Speaker 14: in no ways know anything. For us he just wanted
Speaker 14: to get his feet on. The floor, He said i'm
Speaker 14: a HOOPER when i come to, THE gym i want
Speaker 14: my feet on. The floor so it's actually a refreshing
Speaker 14: take on a player like that because he loves. The
Speaker 14: game you can feel that in his passion and his workouts,
Speaker 14: and amazing, amazing talent amazing to, be around that kind,
Speaker 14: of passion that kind of intensity to.
Speaker 1: The craft there was a Consistency to durant this. Entire
Speaker 1: season he did have a fifty point outburst Against the Blazers,
Speaker 1: in february averaging thirty per game in the Month. Of
Speaker 1: february that second beat of. The league d rattles at
Speaker 1: home from, three points but he only broke forty three,
Speaker 1: other times and he never hit more than six threes in.
Speaker 1: A game there was always an ease With which, durant
Speaker 1: scored so in year two he maybe didn't participate as
Speaker 1: much in team offense and relied on his ability Attach More,
Speaker 1: here slater.
Speaker 6: He started to bristle at, the whole like, you said
Speaker 6: Like the warriors play with joy in. Ball movement he's
Speaker 6: he kind of stopped wanting he, you know wanting to
Speaker 6: be part, of, Like oh i'm going to do the
Speaker 6: back Cuts and i'm gonna be be part. Of this
Speaker 6: it was much more of like a. Stagnant situation, Season.
Speaker 1: Two steph had a ten to three, pointer game his
Speaker 1: only double figure three game of. The season Not Even
Speaker 1: klay thompson would put up A, signature historically explosive performance
Speaker 1: in the. Regular season The way JaVale McGee describes the
Speaker 1: seventeen eighteen season For, the warriors it was pretty much
Speaker 1: self care until. THE postseason.
Speaker 9: I mean maybe the fact that our practices were probably
Speaker 9: like forty, five minutes probably an hour fifteen and then
Speaker 9: it'll get what you need and get what. You Need
Speaker 9: was kane played forty minutes, last game he probably just
Speaker 9: needed a massage in an ice club and maybe. A
Speaker 9: lift steph played thirty. Five minutes he probably need. The
Speaker 9: same i'll play. Eight minutes i'm going to, Go lift
Speaker 9: i'm gonna get on, The traadmill i'm gonna work on.
Speaker 9: Some plays like everybody knew their role and everything they had,
Speaker 9: to do and coach would make sure that he took
Speaker 9: forty five to an hour fifteen of coaching and putting
Speaker 9: things in our mind that we needed for the game
Speaker 9: and for the series, and everything and then it was
Speaker 9: given you need and they treated it as like professionals
Speaker 9: and we all actual.
Speaker 1: At defussions that was part of the appeal Of the.
Speaker 1: Warriors organization it was considered and still is especially player
Speaker 1: friendly Among. The warriors perks is a separate private plane
Speaker 1: for family during, the playoffs but even during the, regular
Speaker 1: season there's a flexibility allowed and it helps overcome the
Speaker 1: rigors OF an. Nba season the.
Speaker 9: Players had a lot more safe than any ORGANIZATION that
Speaker 9: i had. Been in they had a lot more say
Speaker 9: on when we, were leaving if we're going to, practice
Speaker 9: early we're going to. Practice late get one friend on
Speaker 9: the plane one time of. The year so it was a
Speaker 9: real player oriented team and that was SOMETHING that i
Speaker 9: hadn't seen firsthand behind the scenes in the. Locker room
Speaker 9: that was my first time seeing something. Like that but
Speaker 9: at the, same time they just went seventh. Grade nine
Speaker 9: so with, that energy you realize the more, you win
Speaker 9: the more least you have. More opportunities you have to
Speaker 9: do what you want as long as there's a betterment for.
Speaker 1: The team this team finished with fifty, eight wins second
Speaker 1: In the west Behind. The rockets it was a clear
Speaker 1: drop off from the sixty seven a, year earlier but
Speaker 1: regular season win totals stopped mattering to this group a couple.
Speaker 1: Seasons ago there was one dose, of drama one That
Speaker 1: Allowed kevin durant to further display his value as A
Speaker 1: one a. Type Leader steph curry sprained his knee In
Speaker 1: a march game in which he was already returning from an. Ankle,
Speaker 1: injury overall he'd missed sixteen of the last seventeen regular
Speaker 1: season games and the first six in. The postseason most
Speaker 1: of the team was suffering through the wear and tear
Speaker 1: of multiple deep, playoff runs so the seven to ten
Speaker 1: finished to the regular season would spark, some concern Especially
Speaker 1: without curry to start, The playoffs but muscle memories set
Speaker 1: in once the playoffs Began and durant didn't even have
Speaker 1: to play hero As the warriors coasted to a five
Speaker 1: game first round win Against the Spurs Without. Kawhi leonard
Speaker 1: by The time curry came Back in game two Against
Speaker 1: the pelicans with a casual five to threes off, The
Speaker 1: Bench golden state was back to. Full strength another five
Speaker 1: game finished sent the defending champs bliding into the.
Speaker 14: Next round coward has in five after The Footing san
Speaker 14: antonio and five To a french to the Worst The.
Speaker 8: Conference final.
Speaker 1: Then Came the conference, finals Opponent The. Houston rockets they'd
Speaker 1: gone through a couple of iterations Of The james harden,
Speaker 1: led team and this one had an old num mississ
Speaker 1: Of the warriors. On it Point Guard chris paul combined
Speaker 1: with Head coach, mike D'Antoni an offensive wizard who's particularly
Speaker 1: good with, point Guards the rockets were not only the
Speaker 1: team best suited to Beat, the warriors they'd become their
Speaker 1: most dangerous rival In The, western conference more so Than
Speaker 1: the Spurs, and grizzlies who'd Previously Given building state the.
Speaker 1: Toughest Tess here's slater on those three Point.
Speaker 6: Happy rockets they were playing the math game before everybody
Speaker 6: else was playing the math game threes. In, layups Now
Speaker 6: the warriors will tell you that part of the reason
Speaker 6: they won those series is because in a seven game
Speaker 6: series they could scheme up knowing that you don't even
Speaker 6: have to worry about the, mid range. You can, you
Speaker 6: know they were. Two predictable it became this is the whole.
Speaker 6: Other thing but it was like kind of a clash
Speaker 6: of styles between very Interestingly Between, steve kerr Who was
Speaker 6: mike D'ANTONI'S former Gm in Phoenix and, mike D'Antoni and
Speaker 6: like their basketball beliefs were going at it a. Little
Speaker 6: bit and, you Know, the warriors although they're viewed as
Speaker 6: the three point champion because of whose steph is like
Speaker 6: they love the. Mid range clay shout a ton of.
Speaker 6: Mid Range kevin durant like hated the idea that he
Speaker 6: should strip out the nineteen footer from, his game and
Speaker 6: they never told Him. To david They Had david west on.
Speaker 6: Those teams he was just doing pick and pop. Eighteen
Speaker 6: Footers And sean, livingston right that's like the mid range.
Speaker 6: Assassin forever so they loved Beating those rockets teams for,
Speaker 6: many reasons but that was one. Of them was his idea,
Speaker 6: that like, you know it was basketball philosophy's going at
Speaker 6: it a. Little bit but to answer, your, Question like
Speaker 6: houston was just. Really good they were built. REALLY well
Speaker 6: i know they're known. As that, you know it was
Speaker 6: just pick and roll in three point shooters Spread Around.
Speaker 6: James harden but they also Defended the warriors a lot
Speaker 6: better than most teams because they could go small and
Speaker 6: Play more, warriors environment and they. Could switch YOU. Got,
Speaker 6: Pj Tucker eric gordon strong switch. With guys trevor resa
Speaker 6: was good in. Those series so it was just it
Speaker 6: was their best atonent over.
Speaker 1: That Era trevor reza was a forward On those rockets
Speaker 1: and he'd already Played the warriors in the twenty. Fifteen
Speaker 1: playoffs he goes as far as to Suggest the warriors
Speaker 1: made the Move for durant to keep up With, the
Speaker 1: rockets not To Combat lebron james And. The Cavaliers the
Speaker 1: warriors probably would Have pursued durant regardless Of what houston,
Speaker 1: was doing But the rockets did have seven more Wins
Speaker 1: In golden state and home court advantage in these, conference
Speaker 1: finals and according to, a Reason Adding chris paul to
Speaker 1: a group that Already, Featured Harden, ERIC Gordon, Pj Tucker,
Speaker 1: clint capella and himself was the chains that would Put
Speaker 1: the rockets over.
Speaker 15: The, top, WELL man i got to be on a
Speaker 15: Team with Chris And, new orleans and, you know we
Speaker 15: played against each other a lot, coming up so we
Speaker 15: had a friendship there even now to. This day he's
Speaker 15: one of my, closest friends more like family. Than friends
Speaker 15: so to know what he can do throughout his career
Speaker 15: and understanding what we, had there everything that he brought
Speaker 15: or brings to, the court we needed bad and so
Speaker 15: just him coming along And helped james tremendously because it
Speaker 15: gave somebody body else, the opportunity or It gave james
Speaker 15: opportunity to see the game from a different level of
Speaker 15: or different, like Mindset another Hall of fame type talent
Speaker 15: to see a different, you know a different lens of
Speaker 15: how to play. The game so and it kept teams,
Speaker 15: off balanced. You Know so chris coming to our team
Speaker 15: definitely gave us another element that we needed year as
Speaker 15: a genius when it comes, to offense he just opened up.
Speaker 15: Our offense he spread the floor a.
Speaker 9: Little. More Again with Chris.
Speaker 15: And james being, you know those guards that could, make
Speaker 15: plays it opened up the court even more for them
Speaker 15: to be as special as.
Speaker 1: They Are, Chris, Paul james Harden and. Mike D'Antoni was
Speaker 1: an offensive basketball, lover's dream but D'Antoni had never boasted.
Speaker 1: Great defenses this team was different thanks to Guys. Like
Speaker 1: Areza the rockets were seventh in defensive rating, this season And,
Speaker 1: dan toni with the help of Assistant Coach, jeff pisdelic
Speaker 1: developed a defensive scheme that addressed the Fact the warriors
Speaker 1: weren't just a three point. Shooting team here's, The, reason.
Speaker 15: Well, for us we knew that although they shot a
Speaker 15: lot of threes and made a lot. Of threes what
Speaker 15: they really did was they finished inside the paint. A lot,
Speaker 15: you know if you notice The way, stepp plays he
Speaker 15: shoots a lot, of threes but he also gets a
Speaker 15: lot of layups and he gets to the free throw line,
Speaker 15: a lot and a lot of teams overreact to the
Speaker 15: three point line and not really pay attention to the
Speaker 15: layers that they getting open up their threes with the
Speaker 15: way that they moved. The ball so coach came up
Speaker 15: with a scheme to where once, we switch it's not
Speaker 15: just a, point switch it's actually come together. And switch
Speaker 15: so you take away, the slips you take away the easy,
Speaker 15: back doors and, you know you bring the level of
Speaker 15: physicality to the game where you know it wears on the.
Speaker 15: Offensive player so when we figured that out and we,
Speaker 15: did that which took some time to get used, to it,
Speaker 15: you know with a different style, of play we got.
Speaker 1: Better defensively through three games In The Western, conference Finals
Speaker 1: the rockets defense didn't appear to be the. Difference Make
Speaker 1: the Warriors took game One in houston with one hundred and,
Speaker 1: nineteen points and After a houston Rebound in, Game Two
Speaker 1: golden state put up another one hundred and twenty Six
Speaker 1: in game three to take a two one. Series Lead
Speaker 1: chu curry watched. By hard what's, a Mob. There's curry.
Speaker 6: We were from two to fifteen if THE.
Speaker 1: Down nba, leford right we were sixteen.
Speaker 4: Ye home.
Speaker 1: Play game Against lay Over n this is when the
Speaker 1: defense is would Kick in game four would be an
Speaker 1: absolute slug fast with both teams shooting thirty nine percent
Speaker 1: from the Floor, in Oakland the rockets would trail by
Speaker 1: double figures in the, second half only to come back
Speaker 1: and win ninety five to ninety two to tie. The
Speaker 1: series what a strict.
Speaker 8: Partin with the throve oh.
Speaker 1: Flat shoal, My, Change Harden.
Speaker 8: Gordon Light Had draymond green and a lot of trailer.
Speaker 1: Out There following harden score Thirty And chris paul Talked
Speaker 1: To kristin ludlow after adding. Twenty, seven chris you have
Speaker 1: earned a win and one of the most difficult environments
Speaker 1: to do so IN. The nba once look over your
Speaker 1: team in that fourth quarter as you overcame a double.
Speaker 1: DIGIT deficite i went on a hell of a run
Speaker 1: there and the third stuff.
Speaker 15: GOT hot i went up eighty, to SEVENTY and i,
Speaker 15: told us the guys in, the huddle and that's.
Speaker 1: Fight back, you know that's. Fight back and that's what. We,
Speaker 1: did man hell of. A game team up for.
Speaker 4: Big time game.
Speaker 9: Right here.
Speaker 1: Game five Back in houston would be just as. Defensive
Speaker 1: Oriented the rockets shot an even worse Than in game
Speaker 1: four at thirty, seven percent but still held a one
Speaker 1: point lead in the. Final minute it was then that
Speaker 1: The basketball god stepped in once again to Influence the.
Speaker 1: Warriors faith after driving to the rim and spinning in,
Speaker 1: The lane paul went down and immediately grabbed at his.
Speaker 1: Right hamstring oh, my.
Speaker 5: God one to start, one shot puck to, fu all
Speaker 5: got a bite cook all on.
Speaker 8: The smid who? From Suckers Here's draymond frank giving it
Speaker 8: out to What fine.
Speaker 1: Rice call?
Speaker 4: Was?
Speaker 1: Down first paul. Is hunt he's not gonna come out.
Speaker 1: The game he did not pass that. Last play it
Speaker 1: was a. Desperation player he.
Speaker 3: Was hunting.
Speaker 1: Paul was already untucking his shirt before he left, the
Speaker 1: court showing he knew it was a. Significant Injury the
Speaker 1: rockets held on to take a three to two, series
Speaker 1: lead but all their enthusiasm was Dampened by. Paul's injury one,
Speaker 1: year earlier It was leonard's injury In the conference finals
Speaker 1: that brought up questions About. The ducks, this time it
Speaker 1: would be an Injury To chris paul in a much
Speaker 1: more competitive series that had folks. Talking Similarly the warriors
Speaker 1: tied the series with little resistance behind thirty Five From.
Speaker 1: Clay thompson it Was a, game six, After, all tasha find.
Speaker 5: What is it?
Speaker 1: About You in game six?
Speaker 3: Elimination, GAME.
Speaker 4: Oh i don't want to.
Speaker 1: Go home we worked to all this season to. Go
Speaker 1: home and this is what we.
Speaker 5: Played for, when yeah back gets the wall and it
Speaker 5: shows what you Made of and this feels right.
Speaker 1: Right now but as Soon as i'm gonna do, This,
Speaker 1: Total david i'm gonna forget about.
Speaker 4: This game.
Speaker 1: Then in game Seven, in Houston the rockets were using
Speaker 1: their home energy to fight Off. The Warriors Without, Chris
Speaker 1: paul houston led forty two to twenty eight with six
Speaker 1: forty three left in the. Second quarter it was at
Speaker 1: that very Moment the rockets forgot how to shoot, a
Speaker 1: basketball at least from three. Point range you remember when
Speaker 1: the air conditioning went Out In san Antonio during game
Speaker 1: one of the finals Between the spurs and, the heat
Speaker 1: leading to lebron cramping And the spurs eking out. A,
Speaker 1: win well this was, like that except It was houston's
Speaker 1: offense that. Lost power.
Speaker 5: Harden were working for Fall our Bill dawn. Tonio shock they.
Speaker 1: Are in their grill is hot well gotten talker be
Speaker 1: reflected out about going a harder hot. Partner shoes it.
Speaker 4: All a.
Speaker 1: Golden Statele the rockets missed twenty seven consecutive three pointers
Speaker 1: from that point in the, second quarter all the way
Speaker 1: until the six twenty eight mark of the. Fourth quarter by,
Speaker 1: that Time the warriors had taken a ten, point lead
Speaker 1: and they'd hold on to win one oh one to.
Speaker 8: Ninety two here chops up fod one most twenty point
Speaker 8: scot pops it out the light o y bounds royal
Speaker 8: by a rezon.
Speaker 10: Four three cannot find the range?
Speaker 5: Is present were?
Speaker 1: Your stock it was an inconceivable Display. From houston it
Speaker 1: was also impot able to explain they weren't all. Bad
Speaker 1: looks they were just. All, missus ariza who was zero
Speaker 1: for nine from three in, the game six of them
Speaker 1: coming in that ice, cold stretch couldn't shed any light
Speaker 1: on Why the rockets, were missing but he most certainly
Speaker 1: believes the outcome of the series would have been Different
Speaker 1: had paul not. Gotten, Hurt yes.
Speaker 4: I'm gonna go.
Speaker 15: With, hell yet who was gonna win that series if
Speaker 15: he Doesn't get although they may have had Like more
Speaker 15: Hall of fame, type players, but again like with Him
Speaker 15: and james being those Quote unquote Hall of fame players on,
Speaker 15: THAT team i felt like we had enough to beat.
Speaker 15: A Team With, Steph clay Katie and treymond and their, supporting.
Speaker 1: Cast the warriors were on their way to a, familiar
Speaker 1: place their FOURTH Consecutive. Nba finals they'd face a familiar
Speaker 1: opponent they'd finished with a. Familiar result there's. The buzzer
Speaker 1: there's a new dynasty IN.
Speaker 5: The Nba The Golden state warriors champions, once again back
Speaker 5: to back titles three and four.
Speaker 4: Years ago.
Speaker 1: They'd learned soon they're. After that what could tear this
Speaker 1: group apart wasn't. Any opponent it would be just. That
Speaker 1: Familiarity The kevin durant era Of the warriors would crumble
Speaker 1: from the inside out on the next. Dub, dynasty.
Speaker 4: Uh it was just some things said that shouldn't have,
Speaker 4: been said and lines.
Speaker 15: Were CROSSED so i can understand somebody feeling it a
Speaker 15: certain type.
Speaker 9: Of way Once the.
Speaker 16: Lions crossed It was kevin's free agency and the uncertainty
Speaker 16: of what he wanted for, his future and he didn't
Speaker 16: want to talk about it, a LOT but i think
Speaker 16: that's because he truly, didn't know so there was. Just
Speaker 16: tension that's the best way to put.
Speaker 6: A tension I remember kevin did presconference at, THE time
Speaker 6: i think in the middle Of the blazer series where
Speaker 6: he was. Really upset why does it always have to
Speaker 6: Be the WARRIOR unt Kd the Warriors, Aunt kad because
Speaker 6: Suddenly the warriors were played really WELL.
Speaker 7: Without kde my, feeling was, you know he's not going
Speaker 7: to come back unless he's ready to, come BACK and
Speaker 7: i think that a lot of people felt the. Same
Speaker 7: way and.
Speaker 6: Everybody's up they got a chance.
Speaker 15: To win this Staff.
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