On July 16, one day after Marc Gasol renewed his contract with the Grizzlies, a league-wide blockbuster move that had drawn everyone's attention finally came to an end.
That morning, Durant, the Warriors, and the NBA all announced simultaneously that Durant would join the Warriors on a two-year, $54.3 million deal, with the second year being a player option.
In other words, Durant had followed James's example and signed a 1+1 contract with the Warriors.
Together with Curry, Thompson, and Green, he formed a staggering super team with four megastars!
Durant's move shocked the entire world. No one had expected him to join a team that was already so strong.
Wasn't that blatantly riding coattails?
As a superstar scorer, the Durant people had expected should have been someone who ruled his own territory.
He should have been like Link, leading a team by himself and taking them toward glory.
People had thought Durant simply could not stand the Thunder front office's inaction, nor could he stand Russell Westbrook's style of play.
But no one had imagined that such a superstar scorer would make the same choice as some aging veteran on the verge of retirement—joining a team that already had an excellent chance of winning the championship.
In an instant, Durant's reputation and image plummeted.
People called him cowardly and said he lacked courage. They said Durant's decision had ruined the NBA.
With the Grizzlies gradually weakening, the Warriors had suddenly added Durant. It was as if next season's NBA had already reached its ending.
The NBA's greatest attraction was its fierce competitiveness. The NBA had introduced so many trade rules, draft rules, and various restrictions precisely to prevent any one team from becoming far stronger than the rest, balancing the strength of all teams as much as possible.
But