Kevin Durant knows what it’s like to make an unpopular decision to leave a contender with a superstar for a fresh start. He did so two summers ago when he left Russell Westbrook and the Thunder for the Warriors, to create a juggernaut in Oakland.
So, when it comes to Kyrie Irving’s stunning decision this summer to request a trade out of Cleveland and away from LeBron James, eventually landing in Boston, few players are better equipped to understand his mindset than Durant. With the Warriors in Boston on Thursday night for a national TV showcase on TNT between the top teams in the East and West, the subject of Irving’s trade request came up at Warriors practice on Wednesday.
To this point, Irving’s request has been explained by the man himself as one to allow him to text himself and explore his potential. Irving wanted a chance to be the guy on a team, something he was never going to be able to do in Cleveland so long as LeBron James was around. In Boston, he’s gotten that chance, especially in the absence of Gordon Hayward after his season-ending injury, and the results speak for themselves with the Celtics’ red-hot start to the season.
Durant offered his thoughts on Irving’s decision, and lavished praise on the 25-year-old point guard for making “a basketball move” and what he said was “the most respected move” he could’ve made in looking to put himself in a position to maximize his potential, via MassLive.com.
“He chose the basketball route,” Durant said Wednesday night after a Golden State Warriors practice. “He chose to go somewhere where he’s going to maximize his basketball skills. So a lot of people choose different places for different reasons, whether it’s many, whether it’s the city, whether it’s opportunity for whatever he wanted. But he made a basketball move. And that’s the most respected move is to keep it at ball. So he’s playing his best basketball. He’s stepped into a leadership role and this team has taken off because of him.”
It’s an interesting quote from Durant. He’s extremely complimentary of Irving, but it’s a bit strange to hear him saying he chose the “basketball route.” That’s not to say he’s wrong. Irving and the Celtics have clearly clicked and the trade has worked out wonderfully for both he and Boston. However, following the trade so much of the conversation was about why someone would want to leave a team that had made three straight NBA Finals and was set to be the heavy favorite to get to a fourth had he returned.
The phrase “basketball move” tends to be code for “the move that provides the best route to a title.” While the Celtics might have that chance, few people would have expected them to be this good this soon, to the point where they’re well ahead of the Cavaliers. However, in this context, Durant calls the “basketball move” the one that allows the individual to play their best basketball. It’s an interesting contrast, but one that shouldn’t be surprising considering the source.
Durant, like Irving, made a surprising and controversial decision, but the result has been undeniable. To this point, it seems like Irving has been likewise rewarded for his bold move, as the Celtics have flourished under his guidance.
