Kevin Durant will never make everybody happy, but a move to Brooklyn will be the closest thing possible.
Durant's decision to leave the Warriors' dynasty for the Nets and team with Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan is the biggest story of this free agency signing period. It's bigger than Kawhi Leonard, even if Leonard joins Anthony Davis and LeBron James with the Lakers.
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Durant, who might not even play in 2019-20 because of a ruptured Achilles tendon, will be the superstar worth rooting for when he returns. Not everybody will, but this is the situation that could make Durant truly carefree.
It didn't happen in Seattle because the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City. It didn't happen in OKC, either. Durant led the NBA in scoring four times and helped a team that featured Russell Westbrook and James Harden to the 2012 NBA Finals, but James' super team in Miami was better. Durant won his lone MVP award in 2013-14, but the Thunder could never find that groove again.
After losing a 3-1 lead to the Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference finals, Durant bolted for Golden State. It's one of the most polarizing decisions in NBA history. Fans took sides during the fallout with Westbrook. Were you Team Russ or Team KD?
Durant was labeled a ring chaser, the superstar who ruined the NBA. He responded by being a hero. He won back-to-back NBA Finals MVP honors in two series, nearly sweeping James' Cleveland teams both times. Durant hit the big shots. Durant won two rings. Durant defended his decision with the media, but no matter what he did, he was considered a mercenary who took the easy way out.
That narrative began to change when he took the court for Game 5 of the 2019 NBA Finals on June 10. Durant had missed more than a month during the playoffs, and the critics were out in full force questioning his toughness and commitment to the team.
Durant answered with 11 points in a little more than 11 minutes in what was the most captivating segment of the Warriors-Raptors matchup before rupturing his Achilles tendon. Sure, Leonard led the Raptors to the NBA championship. Durant, however, flipped some detractors by trying to play. There should be no question about Durant's mindset on the court after that performance.
Some will still groan over the move to Brooklyn. Why leave a dynasty that has Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson when he returns from an ACL injury? Why would Durant want to break that up when he could have piled on a few more championships in that system?
The answer? It was time for Durant to write his story, once and for all.
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Durant's decision also controlled the narrative of the entire NBA, similar to the LeBron effect. The Warriors were forced to trade for D'Angelo Russell to recoup an asset. The Knicks' brass issued a statement apologizing to fans. The Clippers, Lakers and Raptors are all-in on Leonard now.
KD took the best path for him, and he's with one of his closest friends in Jordan. He'll work with Irving, who is at his best as the sidekick for a superstar. If Durant and Irving produce a championship together, it will be viewed like the Cavaliers' 2016 run, a huge stamp of approval on Durant's legacy.
After all, the Nets haven't won an NBA championship. They won two ABA titles in New Jersey in 1974 and 1976. If Durant can bring a parade to Brooklyn, then any remaining critics will be muted by the applause. It would be even better for the NBA if it's Nets vs. Lakers in the near future.
We need to see James vs. Durant at least one more time. James has three rings. Durant has a 2-1 advantage head-to-head in the NBA Finals. Durant's decision was the counter to James teaming up with Anthony Davis.
That's the league-wide narrative, but it is even better for Durant's brand. He's Comeback KD, the King of New York. If he wins here, then there will be no question whose team it is. Seattle's breakup with the NBA, Durant's breakup with Russ and his recent breakup with the Warriors' core are in the past now.
This is the relationship that could bring Durant real joy, and perhaps now the detractors can finally appreciate the 6-9, 240-pound legend.
Will he live happily ever after?
The setup for a storybook ending doesn't get better than this.
