At that moment, Durant might really have regretted his decision.
But that was life. It was hard to say how his career might have changed if he'd stayed in Oklahoma City—whether things would've been better or worse. No one knew.
Just as no one knew how people would have viewed James if he'd never left Cleveland.
In this league, Durant was probably the last person anyone would call calculating.
After all, everything he did—
put kindly, he was genuine, and he loved and hated without reservation.
Put less kindly, he had no social skills and was oversensitive.
He argued with people online in full view of everyone, and he was just as blunt off the court, saying whatever came to mind.
The biggest reason he left Oklahoma City was probably that he'd spent so long being compared with James as the league's top small forward, and the pressure had become too much.
Add in the mindset of, "If James can do it, why can't I?" and he'd chosen the path he was on now.
But no matter what, in the adult world, you had to pay for your choices.
Turning away and putting Durant out of his mind, Chen Xi followed the others back to the locker room.
The Game 7 War was over. They could finally get some proper rest.
The Rockets and Spurs hadn't settled their series yet, so they could rest for another couple of days.
May 14.
At the Toyota Center in Houston,
Game 5 between the Rockets and Spurs officially began.
The Thunder had already reached the Western Conference Finals, putting a little extra pressure on both teams.
James Harden could hardly wait to meet up with his two buddies in the Western Conference Finals.
But he wasn't the only one eager for a win.