When Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry flew to New York to visit Kevin Durant before the June 30 start of free agency, it wasn’t to convince him to re-sign with the team but to close a special chapter of the team’s golden era.
Curry and Durant made it to three-straight NBA Finals together, winning two championships; Durant won back-to-back Finals MVP honors in both of those title wins.
But things change, with even marginally perceptive people sensing when something good has run its course, and Curry’s recent comments in an interview with The Athletic indicate he had a hunch Durant would be leaving Golden State. Yet, he visited Durant in New York anyway out of respect for their relationship and their shared journey and accomplishments.
“It was more about a respect factor,” Curry said, “Not letting the BS of this league get in the way of our relationship, and not let it change who I am or anything like that.”
Curry further explained his understanding that Durant just needed to do in free agency whatever would make him happy:
There was no need to pitch. He knows what we’re about and what we accomplished. He just had to make a decision that makes him happy. That’s what everybody wants to do in this league.
I feel like he just knew what he wanted.
A player who was counted out from middle school, Curry knows a thing or two about disrespect — as does Durant, who was vilified over his decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for Golden State. So, to just let Durant fade into the sunset over Manhattan’s Hudson River wasn’t going to happen.
A proper goodbye was in order.
