The upcoming NBA All-Star Weekend will mark an important reunion for two key NBA players. As part of the All-Star game, Shaquille O’Neal’s selected roster will boast both Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant! Under normal circumstances, this would be a happy reunion for 2 veterans who not only won the Olympic Gold Medal together less than a year ago but had also served as NBA teammates for 3 years. Unfortunately, the fact that Durant recently refused to return to the Golden State Warriors is bound to make things awkward. However, what else could Kevin Durant have done? After all, he had his reasons for refusing the reunion.
‘The Ringer’s Howard Beck recently published a report that examined LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant’s NBA longevity; all 3 players are above the age of 35 years, with LeBron being 40. It also touched base on the Warriors’ failed efforts at acquiring Kevin Durant. Beck highlighted that by returning to the Bay Area, the Suns star could have increased his odds to win another NBA title. Especially since both of the player’s Larry O’Brien trophies came during his Warriors tenure. Beck even highlighted that “If that’s all he cared about, he surely would have.” However, after having spent so many years in the NBA, Kevin Durant has different priorities on his mind.
“As a young player, you want to build your résumé and get all these awards and get the glory as some of your players that you looked up to. Once you get all of that, you realize none of that stuff is really important” said Durant back in January. “It was more so about the work you put in and the discipline, the dedication you got to work building your craft”. The veteran admitted that, for him, the most important thing right now is to be the best player he can be by maximizing his potential. However, when asked whether winning another championship ring would hurt, Durant replied with a smile “It wouldn’t. Definitely.”
According to a report by The Athletic’s Anthony Slater, Stephen Curry had a conversation with KD about the trade situation. The same had taken place amidst the Warriors search for another major player that could help the team improve its win record. While Jimmy Butler’s name was being speculated as the one, Durant was also being considered behind the scenes. However, whatever was discussed with Durant “convinced him (Curry) a reunion was extremely unlikely, no matter how much the Golden State Warriors ownership group and front office collectively “underestimated” Durant’s coldness toward a return, as one team source put it.” In the end, the Warriors took Jimmy Butler instead.
Kevin Durant’s tenure with the Golden State Warriors had its ups and downs. Sure, the ‘Slim Reaper’ won both his championships in the Bay Area. However, he also developed some issues with Draymond Green during his stay, which ultimately was speculated to be among the reasons for his joining the Brooklyn Nets in 2019. After all, former Warriors player Quinn Cook had talked about the Durant-Green feud by stating “I’m gonna say Golden State didn’t handle it right. It was never addressed to us. We was the one dealing with it every single day. We had team meetings and kumbayas, but that sh*t ain’t work. And we all went through that.”
Almost six years later, any issues between Durant and the Warriors’ power forward would have been forgotten. However, Durant has now settled well with the Phoenix Suns. The last thing for him would be to abandon the team while he can still be a playoff contender with them. Furthermore, in his remaining years, Durant wants to focus on individual growth on the court. While not every NBA star can relate to that, Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr would. This may be why they made it clear that Kevin Durant’s rejection has not affected them much.
Stephen Curry and Steve Kerr respect Kevin Durant’s decision: “All about having peace of mind”
With just hours remaining before the commencement of the All-Star Weekend, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk published a report. His focus: to highlight Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and LeBron James being on the same team for the 1st time since the 2024 Paris Olympics. Amidst the recent developments, it was tough to not discuss Kevin Durant’s rejection. To his credit, Stephen Curry denied any hard feelings towards his former teammate.
“You need everybody to be all bought in no matter what the history you have,” said Curry. “And I respect KD. It’s all about having peace of mind and happiness. Neither one of us controlled that [trade] situation. It’s just you want to make sure somebody wants to be somewhere. Other than that, I’m not trying to convince anybody to be somewhere they don’t want to be.”
Meanwhile, Steve Kerr also addressed the ongoing issue. Having seen firsthand the player’s struggles in the Bay Area, he stated “I don’t blame Kevin one bit for not wanting to rerun things here. He took so much s— for like, ‘Oh, you’re jumping on the bandwagon’ [when he signed with Golden State as a free agent in 2016]. And then he’s Finals MVP two years in a row. It’s like he still gets criticized. So why would he want to face all that B.S. again?”
Feb 10, 2024; San Francisco, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) talk during the second half at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
NBA fans may not see Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant being on the same team for the regular season again. Therefore, when the duo don the ‘Shaq’s OGs’ jerseys during the All-Star game, they should enjoy the moment.
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