Skip to main content

Not Mad, Just Disappointed


Look, I can't outright knock Kevin Durant for his choice - again, HIS choice - on joining the Golden State Warriors for the upcoming NBA season(s). As always, free agency is a choice for these guys, and it is completely up to them where they want to play, where they want their family to live, and what organization they feel is the best fit for those needs.

As a fan, yes I'm disappointed. It's the same feeling I had when LeBron James bolted for South Beach a few years ago. It was a sin that somehow, even with two championships, still hung over his head until it was all cleansed this past June when he did the improbable with a Cavalier championship. Part of me still can't believe that, even when I type it. 

Regardless, there are levels of this move that really bumps it up a notch from what LeBron did in 2010. First and foremost, the most obvious, Durant is joining a team that just defeated him in the Western Conference Finals. And yes, he's joining a 73-9 team. Not a good look at all. Seriously, what's the goal for next season, 74 wins?! Crazy.

Second, the balance of power in the NBA didn't really shift, as we all know how good the Dubs are, but the power definitely now tilts heavily towards NoCal. It's great for the NBA to have such an attraction for ratings and attendance - I'm sure the League office ain't complaining! Yet, it leaves the same issue we saw this past season - is there any reason to watch the rest of the NBA? Especially in the playoffs? 

Lastly, it continues the validity, extent, and questioning of the meaning of "competition" in today's NBA. When plenty of old school fans like myself miss the old days of when superstars weren't instantly crowned and they earned the status based on planting their flag and defeating other giants rather than joining powers like the Avengers, today's NBA misses and fails to embody that element. There was something there in that rivalry between Oklahoma City and the Warriors that was brewing and fun. That's now no more.


Again, I completely understand his right to choose. I also completely commend him for his article in the Players Tribune and acknowledging that he knows his decision will upset many. I just miss the old NBA - heck, in all of sports - when players sometimes despised those in the other uniforms as much as us fans do.  

Well, Oklahoma City, at least he wasn't taken from you, right? 

Durant will win a ring with Golden State. I believe that. Maybe he'll win two. Maybe three. Who knows? And I don't think we'll ever hold the championship(s) against him as the hyperbole claims in today's sports rants and soundbites. Quite frankly, championships are remembered as just that, championships. However, there is just no coming back from this. In my opinion, there is no return policy in this for Durant. 

We'll see how the general basketball world adheres to him. And most importantly, how Oklahoma City, always a positive fanbase, reacts to it. By the way, the burning jersey stuff is so lame. Stop.

But, again, KD was a popular face for the league. And is still so for Nike. His marketing moving forward should be interesting. Especially when he is side-by-side with a guy many love in Steph Curry. An Under Armour guy, by the way.

Going forward, I'm afraid Durant now becomes the bearer of the black hat that was once LeBron's during his Miami days. Except for Durant, there is nothing for him in the option of a "return" or a situation in dire need to save or cement his "legacy". There is hardly a redemption option in this story. Today's sports climate is brutal, and such moves change everything. This move has one direction - moving onward and forward. 

If Durant is okay with that, then I guess we'll have to be too. That's all there is. For this fan, it's the classic mom line, "I'm not mad, I'm just disappointed."
Labels:

Recently Read

Dome Pondering Move Review: Say You Will (2017)

What is it about? A recent high school graduate cares for his mother while attempting to navigate his first relationship following his father's suicide.  Who is in it? Travis Tope - Sam Nimitz Katherine Hughes - Ellie Vaughn Favorite Scene: [spoiler alert] Sam plays his song for his mom. Favorite Quote: Ellie: "I wish we could have met down the road, maybe when we were like 27." Sam: "I think we needed each other now." Review:  Say You Will was an absolutely pleasant surprise of a watch from the Amazon Prime offerings.  I wasn't exactly sure what to expect with this one, but after the credits rolled, it was a movie that provided authentic characters and a great lesson on life. We don't always have to have everything figured out, and it's okay if you don't.  What makes Say You Will so beautiful is that all of the characters are carrying some inner struggle that connects them in the moment and time that helps them through whatever it is. The unlike...
Read more

Dome Pondering - 2025 Year in Review

2025 brought depth and growth.  In many ways, 2025 provided so many challenges and opportunities, allowing for a deeper, more layered approach to the world we live in. Our world is changing, and often, not for the better. Over the last 365 days, life has been more complex, more exhausting, and is asking so much more of us through these transitions and nuances than it did 365 days ago.  No big deal, right?  But hey, you're here. We're here. And we're going into 2026 much stronger, whether we realize it or not. But before we do, let's bid adieu to 2025.  As always, I'm incredibly gratefu l to those of you who still visit this little speck of the internet that houses my thoughts, rambles, and learnings. Thank you for taking a break from instant dopamine hits and videos, and likely the much cooler options of prepared content and indulging my humbled words. It is much appreciated.  It's the 20th annual - TWENTY YEARS of doing this! - Dome Pondering Year in Review. Le...
Read more

Thoughts on John Cena's Final Match - "I'm okay with the tap out."

Wow, he tapped out?! Or did he? We all anticipated the final moment for John Cena in a pro wrestling ring, and what happened this past Saturday left all of us pro wrestling fans with an opinion - did you like the ending?  It was jarring to watch Cena tap out initially. However, as common as "final matches" are beginning to feel as of late (Dudley Boyz and Goldberg in 2025, AJ's announcement that 2026 is his last, and the strong rumor for the same fate for Brock Lesnar in 2026), as pro wrestling fans, we just don't believe yet that wrestling retirements are for real. Because why would we? Nonetheless, we've gotten some unique send-offs that tug on the emotion and mean more AFTER the dust has settled.  I think back to TNA Slammmiversary just this year, in Bubba Ray Dudley "giving up" and allowing himself to be put through the table for the Dudley Boyz send off. In the moment, it seemed awkward and weird. But as time has gone on, the finish has aged really...
Read more