Jerry West Comments on Criticism of Kevin Durant Joining Warriors
Basketball Hall of Famer and Golden State Warriors executive board member Jerry West is speaking out against the criticism heaped on Kevin Durant for choosing to sign with the Golden State Warriors over the summer.
Speaking to Adrian Wojnarowski on The Vertical Podcast, West did not hold back with his opinion of what others had to say about Durant and the Warriors:
"I thought it was justly unfair not only to the Warriors, but more importantly to Kevin. To hear some of these things that some of these basketball experts, to hear ex-players say things about it, it's disgusting. I wish I had a chance to be a free agent because I probably wouldn't have finished my career in Los Angeles.
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After Durant chose to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder, fans of the team began burning his jersey because that's the new thing to do. Cleveland Cavaliers fans famously did the same when LeBron James left for the Miami Heat in 2010.
There's been vocal criticism from Durant's fellow NBA players. Paul Pierce said during an interview with SiriusXM NBA Radio (via Jorge Sierra of HoopsHype) there's a lack of competitiveness with today's players that leads them to form these superteams:
"I could have left Boston years ago, but I stuck it out. I just feel like when you're that close as a competitor, you don't go join the team that just pushed you out. That's just me personally, but we're living in a day and time where there's a new generation. Guys, I don't think they are as hungry or competitive as my generation was, and that's why you'll probably see more of that.
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While Pierce did not leave the Boston Celtics for 15 years, the one NBA title he has came after the Celtics acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Glass house, meet stone thrower.
West spent all 14 years of his NBA career with the Los Angeles Lakers, enduring some mediocre seasons along the way without ever having the no-strings-attached freedom to pick where he wanted in free agency.
Leaving one franchise for another because it's assumed there's an easier path to an NBA championship may not be what players from past generations would do, but they also didn't have that option until unrestricted free agency as we know it started in 1988.
If there's one thing the Warriors from last season, who set an NBA record with 73 wins during the regular season, showed us, it's that having the best team and most talent on paper doesn't guarantee you anything.
Durant made the decision he felt was in the best interest of his career. Like it or not, that is a player's basic labor right.
