Paul Pierce was one of the more vocal critics of Kevin Durant‘s decision to join the Golden State Warriors during the 2016 free agency period. Pierce thought that Durant’s decision showed that current players are not “as hungry or competitive as my generation was,” and that Durant joining the Warriors was like someone joining the “bully’s gang.”
Ultimately, Durant got the last laugh over Pierce and everyone else who criticized him, as the Warriors won a championship and he got the ring he had coveted for so long. He was also fantastic in the Finals, winning the series MVP and drilling a game-winning three to give the Warriors a stunning, come from behind win in Game 3.
Durant told Bleacher Report that this was a “f*ck you” shot to his haters. He made it a point to specifically mention Pierce, as his comments after he joined the Warriors left an impression.
“That was a ‘f–k you’ shot, for sure,” he says. “To everybody. Especially Paul Pierce. I heard him say, ‘I guess he don’t want to work no more.’ That really struck a nerve when he said that. C’mon, man, I put in work. I know what you were going for, but c’mon. One thing I pride myself on is working out and crafting my skills.”
It’s always interesting hearing older players say they define the current generation by the ability to win — especially the ability to win championships — and then criticize players for finding a hole in that line of thinking by forming superteams with the singular goal of winning a ring. Apparently, Durant isn’t a fan of this line of thinking by older players, and it’s fair to wonder if that’s because he was hammered for his inability to get a title prior to joining Golden State.
At the end of the day, Durant got his long-awaited ring. Even if he got there in a way that made people like Pierce upset, he seems like he’s wholly at peace with how he got there, since that championship can never be taken away from him.
(Via Bleacher Report)
