For the two years since Kevin Durant departed the Oklahoma City Thunder, criticism has raged over his move with the latest public insult coming from CJ McCollum. Kevin Durant has had to defend his move over and over again as fellow players, commentators and fans alike have remain angry about his decision.
Kevin Durant's move to the Warriors
Durant's departure to the Golden State Warriors during his free agency in 2016 was met with surprise by many. The dynamic player had displayed his gratitude and love for the Thunder during his time there, even saying that the franchise "raised" him in an article he penned for The Player's Tribune.
It also came as a shock to many that Durant would split from fellow Oklahoma player, Russell Westbrook, whom he had regarded as a brotherly figure during his time at the franchise.
However, Durant made the move due to his desire to win the Championship, something he had become increasingly frustrated about not being able to do at the Thunder. With Oklahoma's loss to the Warriors in the Western Conference finals fresh in his mind, Durant resolved that his best chance of obtaining a Championship ring was to make a radical change and join the already formidable Warriors.
Anger over Durant's move
There was a swift and persistent backlash over Durant's move, Oklahoma fans were left angry over his lack of loyalty to a franchise whom he has always maintained he holds dear.
Fans had expected Durant to stay with the Thunder and try to build from their previous involvement in the Western Conference finals alongside the explosive talent of Russell Westbrook.
Fans of the NBA were left frustrated by the emergence of what they saw as a 'super team'. They worried that the dynamic of the league would be ruined by Golden State's dominance due to their vast collection of world-class players, not least the double-MVP Stephen Curry.
However, the latest criticism has come from CJ McCollum, just a matter of weeks after Durant appeared on his podcast "Pull Up With CJ McCollum". While McCollum has been consistently derogatory about Durant's departure from the Thunder, Durant took particular offence at his latest remarks considering their recent collaboration and seemingly friendly talk on the podcast.
CJ McCollum slighted Durant on Twitter for being 'soft' due to his Championship-motivated move to an already star-studded franchise. KD made it clear he felt betrayed by the comment, quipping in a reply on Twitter 'Snakes in the grass boy I tell ya' and showing his frustration that McCollum would make such a character judgement, asking 'U think that low of me CJ?'.
McCollum tried to diffuse the situation, stating that he was 'done speaking on KD and the warriors' but the fact remains that he has re-opened the conversation about super teams in the NBA and the question of player loyalty. This twitter spat is especially pertinent after DeMarcus Cousins also made the move to the Warriors earlier in the summer which led to an outcry over the possibility of the NBA becoming an uncompetitive league due to the singular dominance of the Warriors.
