Kevin Durant’s decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016 was one of the most significant moments in modern NBA history. The move reshaped the league, sparking widespread debate among fans, analysts, and former players. While Durant’s decision was rooted in a variety of factors—personal, professional, and strategic—understanding why he made the jump from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Warriors requires an examination of the broader context, including Durant’s career trajectory, the Warriors’ dominance, and the shifting dynamics of team-building in the NBA.
1. Durant’s Career Trajectory and the Quest for a Championship
Kevin Durant had already established himself as one of the league’s premier players by 2016. After being selected with the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft by the Seattle SuperSonics (which became the Oklahoma City Thunder), Durant quickly emerged as one of the NBA’s top scorers. He won the NBA Rookie of the Year award and was named an All-Star for the first time in his second season. Over the next several years, Durant developed into an MVP-caliber player, winning the NBA MVP award in 2014, and making regular appearances on All-NBA teams.
However, Durant’s career was defined by a lingering absence of a championship. Despite his personal success, his Thunder teams repeatedly fell short in the postseason. The most painful moment came in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, when Oklahoma City was up 3-1 in a series against the Warriors, only to lose the next three games and the series in dramatic fashion. This collapse seemed to be the culmination of a string of playoff disappointments for Durant, who had fallen short of an NBA Finals appearance in 2012, when the Thunder lost to the Miami Heat in five games.
For Durant, this series loss was a defining moment. As the NBA’s best player to not yet win a title, Durant had to grapple with the pressure of his legacy. His dissatisfaction with the Thunder’s inability to secure a championship, despite having one of the most talented teams in the league, led him to question whether his pursuit of an NBA title was best served by staying in Oklahoma City.
2. The Golden State Warriors’ Dominance
The Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, were coming off an extraordinary season in 2015-16, having set an NBA record for most wins in a single regular season with 73. The Warriors were led by the backcourt duo of Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, as well as the versatile forward Draymond Green. Under coach Steve Kerr, the Warriors had redefined the game with their three-point shooting, pace, and unselfish ball movement. They were a juggernaut, and their style of play had made them the team to beat in the NBA.
Despite their historic regular season, the Warriors fell short of winning the 2016 NBA Finals, losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in a dramatic seven-game series. This was a painful setback, and many pundits questioned whether the Warriors needed to make significant changes to return to championship form. The Warriors’ loss, however, was also an opportunity: They had shown that they could be beaten, but with the right additions, they could potentially become even stronger.
The Warriors’ roster, at its core, had already established itself as one of the most talented in NBA history. However, they were not without flaws. The team was criticized for being too reliant on their three-point shooting, and they lacked a dominant presence in the paint. Moreover, the Warriors were known to struggle defensively against elite players who could exploit mismatches. Kevin Durant, with his ability to both score and defend at an elite level, seemed like the perfect addition to shore up these weaknesses.
3. The Strategy Behind Durant’s Decision
From a strategic standpoint, Durant’s decision to join the Warriors made sense on several levels. First, it placed him in a situation where he would not only have the chance to win championships but also to grow as a player. Playing alongside Curry, Thompson, and Green would give Durant the opportunity to compete for titles immediately. With a dynamic offense already in place, Durant could focus on the nuances of his own game—his playmaking, his defense, and his ability to thrive in clutch moments.
Durant was also stepping into a team that had established itself as one of the most unselfish and team-oriented organizations in the league. Under the guidance of Steve Kerr, the Warriors had built a culture where ball movement, chemistry, and player empowerment were emphasized. Unlike other superstars who had to carve out their own paths with teams built around their individual needs, Durant would join a system that had already proven it could win without needing a single dominant figure. This offered him an opportunity to elevate his game without the constant burden of carrying an entire team on his shoulders.
In joining the Warriors, Durant was also recognizing that he would not have to face the same level of pressure that he had with the Thunder. Oklahoma City had placed the weight of expectations on Durant’s shoulders for years, and while he had been able to handle it admirably, the mental strain was evident in the postseason disappointments. By joining a team with multiple stars and a proven system, Durant would have fewer demands placed on him in terms of leadership and responsibility. The shared burden of success with the Warriors would allow Durant to take more risks on the court, knowing that if things went wrong, he was not alone.
4. The Changing Nature of NBA Team-Building
Durant’s decision also highlighted the evolving nature of team-building in the NBA. Historically, teams were constructed around one or two superstars, with supporting pieces built around them. However, in the years leading up to Durant’s decision, the NBA had seen a shift toward “super-teams” in which multiple elite players joined forces on the same roster to create an overwhelming force. The most notable example of this trend was the Miami Heat, where LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh teamed up to win two championships from 2012 to 2013.
Durant’s decision to sign with the Warriors was part of this larger trend, but it was also distinct in that the Warriors already had a championship-caliber team in place. Unlike the Heat, who had to go through growing pains and setbacks before achieving success, the Warriors were already winners. This move solidified the concept that the NBA was no longer a league where teams were built around a singular, iconic figure but instead was evolving toward collaborative efforts among multiple superstars.
While many fans viewed Durant’s decision as a “weak” move—one that allowed him to join an already championship-caliber team—the reality is that it represented the shifting dynamics of the league. Teams could no longer rely solely on individual brilliance. They had to surround stars with other stars to be truly competitive.
5. The Public Backlash
Despite the strategic logic behind Durant’s decision, the move was met with considerable backlash from fans and analysts. Many critics saw Durant’s decision as an example of “ring chasing” or taking the easy way out. The Warriors had just defeated Durant’s own Thunder team in the 2016 Western Conference Finals, and many saw the move as a betrayal of the competitive spirit that defined the NBA.
This criticism was particularly loud among Thunder fans, who had invested years in Durant’s development as the franchise cornerstone. Oklahoma City had offered Durant the chance to build something from the ground up, but the disappointment of their repeated playoff failures and the Warriors’ dominance ultimately proved too great an obstacle. The backlash from fans, including social media vitriol, was intense and immediate. Durant’s move was viewed by many as an abandonment of the challenge of winning a championship on his own terms.
In response, Durant expressed that his decision was not made out of a desire to take the easy way out, but rather to pursue a new challenge and elevate his own game. He emphasized that the opportunity to play for the Warriors was one that would allow him to grow as a player and to contribute to a team-oriented system that valued his unique skill set.
6. The Results: Championships and Legacy
Durant’s move to the Warriors proved to be a highly successful one. In his first season with Golden State (2016-17), Durant helped lead the Warriors to the NBA Finals, where they defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Durant was named Finals MVP after averaging 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists in the series, and his pivotal performance in Game 3—where he hit a clutch three-pointer over LeBron James to seal the victory—became one of the defining moments of the Finals.
Durant and the Warriors would go on to win the 2018 NBA Finals as well, sweeping the Cavaliers 4-0. Durant continued to solidify his place as one of the league’s most dominant players, contributing both offensively and defensively at an elite level. The Warriors, with Durant on board, established themselves as one of the most dominant dynasties in NBA history, winning three titles in four years (2017, 2018, and 2019).
While Durant’s decision to join the Warriors was criticized in the short term, the success he achieved in Golden State added to his legacy and confirmed his ability to perform under the highest stakes. His ability to win championships with the Warriors, while playing alongside some of the game’s best players, helped cement his place among the NBA’s elite.
In conclusion, Kevin Durant’s signing with the Golden State Warriors in 2016 was a complex decision shaped by a variety of factors. On the one hand, it represented Durant’s desire to win an NBA championship and fulfill his potential. On the other, it reflected broader shifts in NBA team-building and the changing landscape of star power. Though the move was met with criticism, it ultimately resulted in two NBA championships and two Finals MVP awards, cementing Durant’s place as one of the league’s all-time greats.
