Kevin Durant joined the Golden State Warriors knowing full well that his reputation would be damaged. He had seen the backlash LeBron James received earlier in the decade for leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers and understood that the Oklahoma City Thunder fans would give him similar treatment.
Regardless, Durant elected to join the Warriors. In pursuit of basketball happiness, Durant became the best player on a team that had just won an NBA record 73 games in the year prior. For three seasons, the Dubs dominated with KD’s presence.
Cruising to a championship in the 2017 season, the Warriors lost just one game en route to a title.