I don’t know if you heard the news, but NBA stud Kevin Durant announced on The Player’s Tribune that as a free agent, he will be joining the Golden State Warriors. As you can imagine, Oklahoma State Thunder and some NBA fans were not happy.
Kevin Durant looks like a quitter & more than anything a trader. You leave a team that dedicates their organization too your talents..
— Tahj C (@_tsea_) July 4, 2016
@espn Kevin Durant is weak for doing this. #superstarnomore
— Keith (@Krdz1) July 5, 2016
What do you call a 7ft tall baby who can’t handle the pressure?
A Kevin Durant— omar nasim (@OmarNasim1) July 5, 2016
For me, I’ll never understand why fans of sports teams and athletes would go to the levels of burning a player’s jersey, putting For Sale signs in front of player’s homes or other discouraging tactics to show their disapproval of a choice or decision. Honestly, we’ve all done things similar to this.
Athletes are people, too. Let us change the perspective from an athlete making millions of dollars a year to one that is a little more normal. Say Kevin Durant is a contractor at your place of employment and he has just finished up his contract. He was a great employee and a dope co-worker. Your office makes him an offer that is pretty good and you hope he stays. But company B, who has just been nominated for “Best Company to Work For” two years in a row, pitches Kevin a position where he is going to make more money and have an opportunity to win a “Best Company to Work For” (which is something he’s wanted since becoming a contractor). Are you going to be that upset if he decides to change things up because he wants to chase a dream or wants a different opportunity? Nah, you would say “Thanks for your time here and good luck with your opportunity.”
Thunder fans, he fulfilled his contract. He looked at all of his options. He made a choice that ultimately was best for him. If we looked at the Jacksonville Jaguars, we have a few players coming up on contract deals soon. Although I would be a little upset if WR Allen Robinson decided that four years in Duval was enough and he wanted to explore free agency, I wouldn’t hold it against him or even fault him for leaving. Players have to do what’s best for them. You would probably do the exact same thing if you were in a similar situation. We all have to remember that it’s not a personal slight or a dig at the city or team you support, it’s a business and personal decision and we all have to respect that.
Happy for Durant and excited to see Westbrook emerge as the best player in the league
— Allen Robinson (@Thee_AR15) July 4, 2016
River City Rogue 