Dubb Dynasty as a production of iHeartMedia and the NBA.
With the second pick in the two thousand and seven NBA Draft, the Seattle SuperSonics select Kevin Durant from the University of Texas.
The realization of a dream.
This young man from Switzerland, Maryland, who was still age eighteen, went to Texas for one year, was the consensus National player of the year. No freshman ever has been the consensus National player.
Of the year.
Then it comes to Durant, He's gonna try to win it, Durand that's a three pointer.
Of the Sonics with the ball game.
Rives, lay up talk by Durant, army back to the.
Land and for the laft out of Bowl.
Splosh, I was just puffed away Tilson and Zappalochaipu. Durant to labasket, unders and fires it down to Lavast.
What a long drive durt to drive.
Dan what before.
Today?
Seven times?
Those were some highlights of Kevin Durant's time in the NBA before he won an NBA championship. From getting drafted in two thousand and seven, to his debut season, which was the final one for the SuperSonics in Seattle, to his Finals appearance with the Thunder in twenty twelve to his MVP season in Oklahoma City in twenty fourteen. I'm Israel Gutierrez and this is dubbed dynasty. Almost from the moment he was drafted, Kevin Durant was projected to be
one of the most gifted scorers in the league. It was thought he would challenge, if not surpassed, the league's other greats, whether it was an aging Kobe Bryant or a vibrant Lebron James in his prime. By the time Durant's career was.
Done, is there a player out there that you're looking at that motivates you?
Yeah?
Who's that?
Keavin Durant?
Why?
I feel like he's next to the line.
For most of us, we'd envisioned all of, if not some of that success coming in Oklahoma City, where he'd continue his path to be one of the greats and pick up a championship or more along the way. He didn't win an Okase, just the one finals appearance, and after making the controversial move to Golden State, Durant could finally see the championship on the horizon and a lifelong goal about to be accomplished, but would it look or feel anything like he'd dreamed now that he's on a
team dubbed too Talented to fail. Last We Left You, Durant was facing the possibility of failing. He and the Warriors were in the Western Conference Finals against the San Antonio Spurs, having not dropped a single game in the playoffs, but Kawhi Leonard was cooking in Game one in Oakland. With twenty six points through about twenty eight minutes of play, the Spurs were stunning the Oakland crowd, leading the Juggernaut Warriors by twenty one points.
Leonard drives muscles his way inside of scores chants for a three point play.
Then, with about eight minutes left in the third Leonard received the screen from LaMarcus Aldridge. The Warriors defender switched, and with the shot clock under three seconds, Leonard rose up for a long two pointer in the left corner with a closing Jajah Peculia trying to contest. Peculia's final step on his close out ended up in Leonard's landing space, and the resulting foot to foot contact would turn the game and the series on its head.
O'clock at eight, Aldrich pushing off on Peturia. Leonard fires from the corner and Leonard goes down again.
And he's in pain again in front of the Spurs bench and a Leonard gingerly getting up.
Again.
That's what they call all the time, when you get your feet into the landing space of the shooter, an ankle taking a pounding year of the third quarter, one that was already sore.
As Green pointed out, this wasn't the first time Leonard's ankle was stressed in this game. Earlier, Kawhi turned it after landing on a teammate's foot. You might remember that Spur it was former Warrior David Lee, who'd spent his final season in San Antonio.
Leonard answers back a corner three and Leonards hurt. I think on his own guy at about the Spurs wanted to stop the clock and Kawhi Leonard is hurt and you can see he's upset.
Just what every kid did on a playground, you tighten up that sneaker. And it was in his previous series against the Rockets that Leonard initially turned the end. So it was already coming into these conference finals vulnerable to further damage. Here's Josha wants your sprain ankle.
It takes weeks to get it right, not only like you know, to get it right by you to strengthening a game, to get back to normal. It takes weeks. So obviously we go during the playoffs. The only thing you can do tape it like twice, you know, really stabilize it. But ankle is weak. Actually he was playing made out of his mind. I knew they that ankle, like I really give him so much credit, and you know that's amazing character. You know Sprain and Colorati too
in conference final. And not only he's playing great offensively, but defensively kad is I don't want to say no show, but he's strucking because you know Kauai is knowing, as you know, stop defensive players, stop her with his hands and I Q So we down first.
Game down and doubted there was no Tim Duncan. But these were still the Spurs, coached by one of Steve Kerr's mentors in Greg Popovich, and following many of the same basketball principles the Warriors do. This is where the conjecture gets hot and heavy. Did Peculia extend his leg purposely? How would game one end if Kawhi was healthy. How would the series end if Kawhi was healthy? Petculia can answer that first part emphatically. He absolutely did not attempt
to injure Lennard. And if you've ever spoken to Peculia, you tend to believe him.
Here's his side of the tail. Steve doesn't like when you file three point shooter. He hates it because there can be a momentum play right false okay, like you know, regular file two points like two free throws right, but not three okay. And I remember the moment the ball goes up in the air, so I challenge it that I start watching the ball. I start watching the ball. But you know, when you rotate your momentum, because I'm six to eleven right to two hundred and seventy five pounds,
So when I'm going towards something, it's hard to stop. Obviously, it starts to stop yourself because you know, again it was a hard rotation because I didn't want to give up the wide open three. And then I remember I didn't touch his hand, like there was no concert or you know, body wise, no contacts. Say, I hear the whistle and in my mind going like it was going on that like, that's not a foul, Like I didn't touch him. So I was shocked because now I hated.
I hate to make mistakes. It's a conference finals, guys, like you know, it's not a regular season. It's okay to make a mistake. No, it's not, because one miscommunication one this kind of the foul can cost you a game. It can cost you like the season and the championship.
Right. So I'm not the young I'm thirty something years old, so i understand imponents of the mistakes. So I'm frustrated for the bad call, and I start running away from the from the referee, and in the middle of the court, Pau Gasol was standing there, and I looked at him
and said, Paul, that's such a BS call. And then I turn around, like literally, I turn around, and then I see somebody is down and the whole bench is around here, and I said, what happened, Pau, And Paul says, I don't know, So I said, obviously, then I've realized that Kawhi was now but I had no idea what would happened? Is he just like he left the corp.
The Spurs were leading seventy eight to fifty five when Leonard left the floor for good. With the shock of Kawhi Gon and the Warriors in comeback mode, Golden State scored the game's next eighteen points, all.
Chipped out to Durant, back to Tompson for three time. Jenob we trying to draw the fowl Curry a two quarter puts it. They're trying to draw the Warriors taking out a rhythm Curry with the Steel ahead to Durant.
Durant drawn out. San Antonio still managed to fight and were up eleven in the opening moments of the fourth quarter, and with two twelve remaining, the Spurs were still holding a three point lead until Steph Curry put the final touches on the comeback win.
All tipped again picked up by Curry Curry for three.
It's come tie game.
The Rants got gentlele on a given gold carry place it in.
They called the.
Goal tend, not golf. The rim early a goal tend and that's a five point.
Lead for the Lord.
Bill's Missus lead bout tip to not Ti. The Warriors survived, but take carey one.
After the game, Spurs coach Greg Popovich was still quite upset, even bringing up multiple physical altercations Peculia had in his recent NBA history.
A two step lead with your foot closing out. He's not a program. It's dangerous, it's on sportsmanlife. It's just not what anybody does to anybody.
Popovich's fure certainly stoked the fire after with Peculia being painted as a dirty play. It also didn't help that the two forces and their respective conferences were so dominant in these playoffs. There wasn't much else to discuss to this point in the postseason. Neither the Warriors nor the Caves had lost the game. The Cavaliers would go on to lose just one before getting to the finals, so
everyone would pounce some Peculia. Well, Peculia was just trying to get a message across to Leonard himself.
I texted him. I texted, I said, I said, hey, man, I have so much respect for you. I just want you to know from me. That was not in purpose. I couldn't control that, right, So I found his number, I texted him, and that's all I cared about. But then in console the media, the people, right fans, I can't control that, So I say, you know what, Yeah, I worried of course I wore it, didn't you know you would because I knew there was not the case. How can you do it? Like, how can to me?
I can't. I can't even think about how he purposely can't do that, like really aimed after thirteen years in this season because you never happened before, right, So I was waiting for this moment for thirteen years. I knew we were going to be down against you know, Western Conference Finals, and I say, it just absurd, it's not realistic. And yeah, there was too much noise. Even though it's easier to say like not to worry about it, but
I was, I'll be honest. But at the same time, I was keep reminding myself, like control whatever is in your hand. I texted Kawai and I got a lot of text messages from my teammates, you know, so support Kawhi. Yeah, we communicated. Yeah, we did the communication, and he said it actually after the game in press conference days. I don't think it was intentional.
Curry and Durant combined for seventy four in that game, one win, and without the resistance of Leonard, the Warriors coasted to wins of thirty six, twelve, and fourteen points to it to their third straight NBA Finals.
As the Warriors are headed to the NBA Finals for the third consecutive year.
To this point, the Warriors' dominance was just as predicted. They were just the third team to sweep the first three rounds of the playoffs, along with the eighty three six Ers and the one Lakers, and it was doing nothing to quiet those who were critical of Kevin Durant for joining the championship ready Warriors. Golden State needed a challenge, at least in the eyes of sports purists, and all that was left was the same team that faced the
previous two finals, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Not only were the NBA Finals old hat to many of these Warriors, but playing against Lebron in this series was also not to Durant. However, he hadn't faced Lebron in the finals in five seasons, and he'd never won a title, while all the primary parties on both teams already had. Despite that, JaVale McGee doesn't recall much win one for Kadie talk throughout that season or in the playoffs.
I think everybody just went out there to be a professional, and I played basketball and we knew if we win, that's the only way we can defend KD. And if we keep winning. We never had like internal conversations like, hey, we need to protect KD. Mainly because he's a grown man, so I'm sure he'll be okay.
Durant was beyond okay. In his first two Finals games with Golden State, he'd score thirty eight and thirty three, respectively, and then in Game three in Cleveland, he put up another efficient thirty one, but it was the final few points that'll be remembered most. With two nineteen left, Steph Curry narrowed the Cavaliers lead before Durant took over from back.
Games go, Durant Thompson on the switch, Durant drives.
That's a great look. It finishes.
It's too easy. After the switch James with.
Eight to shoot. James pulls back, drives again, kicks it out cover corner three and kenned the fall rebound. Durant Duran for three.
An's good.
Kevin Durant from towntown and Golden State takes the lead. Duran has it corver all over him and there's the coal. Kevin Durant a great free throw shooter and suddenly this building stunned by a quick turn of events.
The stunning three pointer Durant confidently took over a surprised Lebron James will likely be Durant's signature championship moment because despite the opponent, there wasn't much of a challenge. The Warriors did drop Game four in Cleveland, allowing them to celebrate the championship at home with a relatively easy game five ways.
The road to redemption that has the Warriors back home.
Warriors are about two thousand seventeen champion.
That split second was just what it's all for.
That two or three seconds.
Soon as the buzzer sound, I swear it was about.
Fore Durant was a champion in his tenth season in the league, and he might have just won it as a member of the greatest team ever. That last part will forever be up for debate, but not the championship part.
This seems like a dream wide away.
This, according to Slater, felt like everything it was supposed to for KD in that celebratory moment, although a.
Lot like the outside world viewed it as man this was an easy title like it was that first one, was really celebrated hard, especially by him. I remember he was a Finals MVP. He was with his mom, meeting with Bill Russell, taking pictures with Bill Russell, and like it felt like the pinnacle moment that he went there to have. And then there's the famous video of him leaving Oracle that night in his I believe it was
a Tesla when Tesla was like, wow, this guy. You know, this guy's got a Tesla and he gets out of the car. He's not driving, by the way. I remember, he's in the passenger seat because obviously he had had a few things to drink. And he gets out in the whole Warriors crowd in the Oracle parking lot swarms him and he's like holding up the trophy, and that, to me has always been like that was the pinnacle moment of the Kevin Durant era.
The moment, however, wouldn't last as long as Durant envisioned. That's because after the championship and the ease with which it came, Durant wasn't allowed to bask in his glory from atop the sports world. He was still defending himself for deciding to play with the Warriors and making it all look so easy here, slave.
This was an all time great at the peak of his powers succeeding and being told that, like, you know, who cares. You know, it was an easy path to
do it, and you know that frustrated him. And he's given interviews and I've even talked to him a little bit in that aftermath those next couple of seasons that he definitely came to grips over that, probably that week after the title, but certainly in the years after that, Like and other athletes have said this, like they just are they obsess over getting the title, and he had had so many close calls in Oklahoma City, and like
he just it burned him to get the title. And then you get it and then you celebrate and you know, because it's happened, and then you wake up the next day and it's like same life, same issues I may have had outside the court saying, you know, like it's not as fulfilling as you thought it might have been.
And then of course, you know, his was wrapped into like the criticisms of how he did it, and you know the fact that he's sitting there going, look, I've kind of just proved I was the best player in the world.
Probably the most painful singer in Durant's direction, and certainly the most memorable, came just one month after the championship at the SB Awards, where the world is supposed to celebrate the greatest athletes and their accomplishments. A former pro athlete, Peyton Manning was the host, and then his opening monologue, he directed a joke at Durant that didn't appear to land well with the reigning finals MVP.
I love that the final five won the most Olympic medals of any US women's gymnastics team ever, and our gymnastics team was so dominant that Kevin Durant told me he wants to play for them next year. And I gotta tell you, I don't think you'd sung for that team. Kevin, Yeah, Russell leftro what do you bet?
The camera cut to Durant immediately after the punchline, and he did not appear amused. Wearing a T shirt to an awards event was very durant. So was the continued blank face he was giving the camera and by extension, Peyton Manning and every single hater. This is what the off season, and frankly, the remainder of Durant's Golden State career would be people discussing the fairness of the Warriors
or the competitive spirit of Durant making matters worse. About a month before Durant's second season started with the Warriors, he was exposed for having a burner account on Twitter that he'd used to defend himself against often anonymous critics. Durant tweeted a response to a user criticizing his exit from OKC, writing in the third person quote, he didn't like the organization or playing for Billy Donovan. His roster
wasn't that good. It was just him and Russ. Durant added in another tweet, imagine taking Russ off that team, see how bad they were. Katie couldn't win a championship with those Cats. The only problem was Durant tweeted those from his actual verified account, not the burner account he created.
Whoops.
Not only did it unleash loud criticism, but Durant was viewed as overly sensitive to critics, and it allowed people to further dissect one of the league's best players. Durant has since said his burner account experience was about living a normal life, which speaks to the difficult of living as public a life as Durant has. Rachel Nichols has watched image transformations happen in the NBA before, including Lebron James's switch from a villain his first year in Miami
to a much more likable person after. She believes that the introspect of Durant could have been embraced a bit more if he just opened up about his decisions and his emotions, so the viewing public can perhaps relate to Tad better.
I think Kevin Durant is somehow underrated. Still, he is an exceptional player. I put him higher in my all time list than I think a lot of other people do. I think because his nature is not to over explain himself. I think because he is laid back. I think because he doesn't really engage in what the media thinks, even though he is very online with what the fans think. I think that he didn't articulate his case. He didn't feel like he needed to. He shouldn't have to answer
to anyone. I respect that Kevin Durant can run in his life any way he wants, but I think it made a big difference and hurt him for years. And I think it affected for years his career decisions and choices. And I think if he had been able to really explain himself how he felt, why he did this, what he was getting out of it, beyond just oh and now I can win a ring that he wasn't solely
ring chasing. I think if he had been able to connect with fans on that level and made that effort to do that, I think it not only would have changed the way people felt in subsequent years about the Warriors winning titles. I think that Kevin Durant would still
be in Golden State right now. I think that it had that deep an impact, and that if the strategy on the marketing and pr had been different, I think that that would have changed the course of the way the NBA went over the next five to seven years. And again, I want to be clear, I don't think what Kevin did, the way he played it or people advised him, was wrong, because it was Kevin's decision. You
can do whatever you want, it's your career. But if he had done it differently, had he had been comfortable or wanted to do it differently, that I think it would have had a very very different result.
A different result in terms of public opinion and perhaps whether or not Durant would leave Golden State. But while he was there, the results were always great. That's what added to a perceived lack of enthusiasm. Regardless of continued excellence, the conversations would never be about that. Here's Slater on Durant and the Warrior's motivation to repeat.
I know, Bob Myers is always compared to like you climb Mount Everest once and oh, you know, you've done it, and then it's like, Okay, now you're back at the
bottom climbing again. It's just the motivation. So I think there was just like a the natural fatiguing nature of defending a title wrapped into all of what we're talking about with just like the narrative around Kevin Durant, and just like the belief of like nothing you do no matter how many points you score, no matter how well you play this season, Like even if you just rumble to a title and you are the Finals MVP and you hit signature shots to sweep the Cavaliers, which he did,
like we won't respect your championship, and you know, the Warriors hope was like that. He would just be like you know that he like, don't care what these fans say, don't care what everybody else does. Just keep racking up championship because if you stay here and if you stay committed, we will continue to dominate. That was their belief. But he fed into what the outside story was about him and then then kind of grumbled obviously about it, and I would say, kind of receded a little bit into
you know, not as friendly you know, around the team. Again, he probably wouldn't even love the characterization of all this because, like, you know, his argument at the time, and he's not wrong. Like his play never suffered. He was awesome throughout.
Durant and the Warriors continued to be awesome in the two thousand in seventeen to eighteen season, despite Durant's satisfaction likely not matching what he envisioned. The rest of the Warriors were golden. They'd gotten their revenge on the Cavaliers, and with Durant in the fold for another year at least, the vibes were decent. With a season under his belt and CURRS system, Durant was putting up a few more shots.
He didn't match his incredible fifty four percent shooting from the previous season, but he did average better than twenty six points and was back on the All NBA First team. Warriors assistant coach Bruce Frasier would often assist Stephan Durant in their workouts, and watching Durant was a whole new experience for him.
The most versatile offensive player I've ever seen, probably the most talented offensive I'm not saying just that to say he's not a good defender either, but e Lee, you know, he's his footwork on the block and the mid head range in the elbow area, and you know he can facing the baskets with his back to the basket, and then you know, off the dribble and range from the league. So here's a guy at six'. Twelve they can put the ball on the, floor they can shoot it from.
Anywhere he can keep up With steph and kind of. Shooting steff play And kevin used to shoot together at times after, practice and he he was he could keep up with. Them so and he's six.' TWELVE so, I know i keep saying that, whatever is but, he is he is an alien and he and he and, you know in Credit, to kevin not only not only is he, that skilled but he Doesn't miss he doesn't. Miss shots
he's the most Proficient player i've. Ever seen if you ever go To Watch kevin durant work out or watch him play in, a game but watch him, work out he doesn't miss. Many shots and he's very detailed and it matters to him and he steph go to a pace in his workouts that most. Players don't kevin matches that Pace and kevin goes. Extremely hard and, YOU know i Think, for kevin he may enjoy working out and
being on the floor more than. Even games kevin loves when he gets in it because it's Like his it's like a it's like meditation. For him when he gets into a, good workout the world goes away and he loves. The game we used to have a simple warm up theme called feet On. The floor kevin would just, come in no ways know anything. For us he just wanted to get his feet on. The floor, He said i'm a HOOPER when i come to, THE gym i want my feet on. The floor so it's actually a refreshing
take on a player like that because he loves. The game you can feel that in his passion and his workouts, and amazing, amazing talent amazing to, be around that kind, of passion that kind of intensity to.
The craft there was a Consistency to durant this. Entire season he did have a fifty point outburst Against the Blazers, in february averaging thirty per game in the Month. Of february that second beat of. The league d rattles at home from, three points but he only broke forty three, other times and he never hit more than six threes in.
A game there was always an ease With which, durant scored so in year two he maybe didn't participate as much in team offense and relied on his ability Attach More, here slater.
He started to bristle at, the whole like, you said Like the warriors play with joy in. Ball movement he's he kind of stopped wanting he, you know wanting to be part, of, Like oh i'm going to do the back Cuts and i'm gonna be be part. Of this it was much more of like a. Stagnant situation, Season.
Two steph had a ten to three, pointer game his only double figure three game of. The season Not Even klay thompson would put up A, signature historically explosive performance in the. Regular season The way JaVale McGee describes the seventeen eighteen season For, the warriors it was pretty much self care until. THE postseason.
I mean maybe the fact that our practices were probably like forty, five minutes probably an hour fifteen and then it'll get what you need and get what. You Need was kane played forty minutes, last game he probably just needed a massage in an ice club and maybe. A lift steph played thirty. Five minutes he probably need. The same i'll play. Eight minutes i'm going to, Go lift i'm gonna get on, The traadmill i'm gonna work on.
Some plays like everybody knew their role and everything they had, to do and coach would make sure that he took forty five to an hour fifteen of coaching and putting things in our mind that we needed for the game and for the series, and everything and then it was given you need and they treated it as like professionals and we all actual.
At defussions that was part of the appeal Of the. Warriors organization it was considered and still is especially player friendly Among. The warriors perks is a separate private plane for family during, the playoffs but even during the, regular season there's a flexibility allowed and it helps overcome the rigors OF an. Nba season the.
Players had a lot more safe than any ORGANIZATION that i had. Been in they had a lot more say on when we, were leaving if we're going to, practice early we're going to. Practice late get one friend on the plane one time of. The year so it was a real player oriented team and that was SOMETHING that i hadn't seen firsthand behind the scenes in the. Locker room that was my first time seeing something. Like that but
at the, same time they just went seventh. Grade nine so with, that energy you realize the more, you win the more least you have. More opportunities you have to do what you want as long as there's a betterment for.
The team this team finished with fifty, eight wins second In the west Behind. The rockets it was a clear drop off from the sixty seven a, year earlier but regular season win totals stopped mattering to this group a couple. Seasons ago there was one dose, of drama one That Allowed kevin durant to further display his value as A one a. Type Leader steph curry sprained his knee In
a march game in which he was already returning from an. Ankle, injury overall he'd missed sixteen of the last seventeen regular
season games and the first six in. The postseason most of the team was suffering through the wear and tear of multiple deep, playoff runs so the seven to ten finished to the regular season would spark, some concern Especially without curry to start, The playoffs but muscle memories set in once the playoffs Began and durant didn't even have to play hero As the warriors coasted to a five
game first round win Against the Spurs Without. Kawhi leonard by The time curry came Back in game two Against the pelicans with a casual five to threes off, The Bench golden state was back to. Full strength another five game finished sent the defending champs bliding into the.
Next round coward has in five after The Footing san antonio and five To a french to the Worst The.
Conference final.
Then Came the conference, finals Opponent The. Houston rockets they'd gone through a couple of iterations Of The james harden, led team and this one had an old num mississ
Of the warriors. On it Point Guard chris paul combined with Head coach, mike D'Antoni an offensive wizard who's particularly good with, point Guards the rockets were not only the team best suited to Beat, the warriors they'd become their most dangerous rival In The, western conference more so Than the Spurs, and grizzlies who'd Previously Given building state the. Toughest Tess here's slater on those three Point.
Happy rockets they were playing the math game before everybody else was playing the math game threes. In, layups Now the warriors will tell you that part of the reason they won those series is because in a seven game series they could scheme up knowing that you don't even have to worry about the, mid range. You can, you know they were. Two predictable it became this is the whole.
Other thing but it was like kind of a clash of styles between very Interestingly Between, steve kerr Who was mike D'ANTONI'S former Gm in Phoenix and, mike D'Antoni and like their basketball beliefs were going at it a. Little bit and, you Know, the warriors although they're viewed as the three point champion because of whose steph is like they love the. Mid range clay shout a ton of. Mid Range kevin durant like hated the idea that he should strip out the nineteen footer from, his game and
they never told Him. To david They Had david west on. Those teams he was just doing pick and pop. Eighteen Footers And sean, livingston right that's like the mid range. Assassin forever so they loved Beating those rockets teams for, many reasons but that was one. Of them was his idea, that like, you know it was basketball philosophy's going at it a. Little bit but to answer, your, Question like houston was just. Really good they were built. REALLY well
i know they're known. As that, you know it was just pick and roll in three point shooters Spread Around. James harden but they also Defended the warriors a lot better than most teams because they could go small and Play more, warriors environment and they. Could switch YOU. Got, Pj Tucker eric gordon strong switch. With guys trevor resa was good in. Those series so it was just it was their best atonent over.
That Era trevor reza was a forward On those rockets and he'd already Played the warriors in the twenty. Fifteen playoffs he goes as far as to Suggest the warriors made the Move for durant to keep up With, the
rockets not To Combat lebron james And. The Cavaliers the warriors probably would Have pursued durant regardless Of what houston, was doing But the rockets did have seven more Wins In golden state and home court advantage in these, conference finals and according to, a Reason Adding chris paul to a group that Already, Featured Harden, ERIC Gordon, Pj Tucker, clint capella and himself was the chains that would Put the rockets over.
The, top, WELL man i got to be on a Team with Chris And, new orleans and, you know we played against each other a lot, coming up so we had a friendship there even now to. This day he's
one of my, closest friends more like family. Than friends so to know what he can do throughout his career and understanding what we, had there everything that he brought or brings to, the court we needed bad and so just him coming along And helped james tremendously because it gave somebody body else, the opportunity or It gave james opportunity to see the game from a different level of or different, like Mindset another Hall of fame type talent to see a different, you know a different lens of
how to play. The game so and it kept teams, off balanced. You Know so chris coming to our team definitely gave us another element that we needed year as a genius when it comes, to offense he just opened up. Our offense he spread the floor a.
Little. More Again with Chris.
And james being, you know those guards that could, make plays it opened up the court even more for them to be as special as.
They Are, Chris, Paul james Harden and. Mike D'Antoni was an offensive basketball, lover's dream but D'Antoni had never boasted. Great defenses this team was different thanks to Guys. Like Areza the rockets were seventh in defensive rating, this season And, dan toni with the help of Assistant Coach, jeff pisdelic developed a defensive scheme that addressed the Fact the warriors weren't just a three point. Shooting team here's, The, reason.
Well, for us we knew that although they shot a lot of threes and made a lot. Of threes what they really did was they finished inside the paint. A lot, you know if you notice The way, stepp plays he shoots a lot, of threes but he also gets a lot of layups and he gets to the free throw line, a lot and a lot of teams overreact to the three point line and not really pay attention to the layers that they getting open up their threes with the
way that they moved. The ball so coach came up with a scheme to where once, we switch it's not just a, point switch it's actually come together. And switch so you take away, the slips you take away the easy, back doors and, you know you bring the level of physicality to the game where you know it wears on the. Offensive player so when we figured that out and we, did that which took some time to get used, to it, you know with a different style, of play we got.
Better defensively through three games In The Western, conference Finals the rockets defense didn't appear to be the. Difference Make the Warriors took game One in houston with one hundred and, nineteen points and After a houston Rebound in, Game Two golden state put up another one hundred and twenty Six in game three to take a two one. Series Lead chu curry watched. By hard what's, a Mob. There's curry.
We were from two to fifteen if THE.
Down nba, leford right we were sixteen.
Ye home.
Play game Against lay Over n this is when the defense is would Kick in game four would be an absolute slug fast with both teams shooting thirty nine percent from the Floor, in Oakland the rockets would trail by double figures in the, second half only to come back and win ninety five to ninety two to tie. The series what a strict.
Partin with the throve oh.
Flat shoal, My, Change Harden.
Gordon Light Had draymond green and a lot of trailer.
Out There following harden score Thirty And chris paul Talked To kristin ludlow after adding. Twenty, seven chris you have earned a win and one of the most difficult environments to do so IN. The nba once look over your team in that fourth quarter as you overcame a double. DIGIT deficite i went on a hell of a run there and the third stuff.
GOT hot i went up eighty, to SEVENTY and i, told us the guys in, the huddle and that's.
Fight back, you know that's. Fight back and that's what. We, did man hell of. A game team up for.
Big time game.
Right here.
Game five Back in houston would be just as. Defensive Oriented the rockets shot an even worse Than in game four at thirty, seven percent but still held a one point lead in the. Final minute it was then that The basketball god stepped in once again to Influence the. Warriors faith after driving to the rim and spinning in, The lane paul went down and immediately grabbed at his. Right hamstring oh, my.
God one to start, one shot puck to, fu all got a bite cook all on.
The smid who? From Suckers Here's draymond frank giving it out to What fine.
Rice call?
Was?
Down first paul. Is hunt he's not gonna come out. The game he did not pass that. Last play it was a. Desperation player he.
Was hunting.
Paul was already untucking his shirt before he left, the court showing he knew it was a. Significant Injury the rockets held on to take a three to two, series lead but all their enthusiasm was Dampened by. Paul's injury one, year earlier It was leonard's injury In the conference finals that brought up questions About. The ducks, this time it would be an Injury To chris paul in a much
more competitive series that had folks. Talking Similarly the warriors tied the series with little resistance behind thirty Five From. Clay thompson it Was a, game six, After, all tasha find.
What is it?
About You in game six?
Elimination, GAME.
Oh i don't want to.
Go home we worked to all this season to. Go home and this is what we.
Played for, when yeah back gets the wall and it shows what you Made of and this feels right.
Right now but as Soon as i'm gonna do, This, Total david i'm gonna forget about.
This game.
Then in game Seven, in Houston the rockets were using their home energy to fight Off. The Warriors Without, Chris paul houston led forty two to twenty eight with six forty three left in the. Second quarter it was at that very Moment the rockets forgot how to shoot, a basketball at least from three. Point range you remember when the air conditioning went Out In san Antonio during game one of the finals Between the spurs and, the heat
leading to lebron cramping And the spurs eking out. A, win well this was, like that except It was houston's offense that. Lost power.
Harden were working for Fall our Bill dawn. Tonio shock they.
Are in their grill is hot well gotten talker be reflected out about going a harder hot. Partner shoes it.
All a.
Golden Statele the rockets missed twenty seven consecutive three pointers from that point in the, second quarter all the way until the six twenty eight mark of the. Fourth quarter by, that Time the warriors had taken a ten, point lead and they'd hold on to win one oh one to.
Ninety two here chops up fod one most twenty point scot pops it out the light o y bounds royal by a rezon.
Four three cannot find the range?
Is present were?
Your stock it was an inconceivable Display. From houston it was also impot able to explain they weren't all. Bad looks they were just. All, missus ariza who was zero for nine from three in, the game six of them coming in that ice, cold stretch couldn't shed any light on Why the rockets, were missing but he most certainly believes the outcome of the series would have been Different had paul not. Gotten, Hurt yes.
I'm gonna go.
With, hell yet who was gonna win that series if he Doesn't get although they may have had Like more Hall of fame, type players, but again like with Him and james being those Quote unquote Hall of fame players on, THAT team i felt like we had enough to beat. A Team With, Steph clay Katie and treymond and their, supporting.
Cast the warriors were on their way to a, familiar place their FOURTH Consecutive. Nba finals they'd face a familiar opponent they'd finished with a. Familiar result there's. The buzzer there's a new dynasty IN.
The Nba The Golden state warriors champions, once again back to back titles three and four.
Years ago.
They'd learned soon they're. After that what could tear this group apart wasn't. Any opponent it would be just. That Familiarity The kevin durant era Of the warriors would crumble from the inside out on the next. Dub, dynasty.
Uh it was just some things said that shouldn't have, been said and lines.
Were CROSSED so i can understand somebody feeling it a certain type.
Of way Once the.
Lions crossed It was kevin's free agency and the uncertainty of what he wanted for, his future and he didn't want to talk about it, a LOT but i think that's because he truly, didn't know so there was. Just tension that's the best way to put.
A tension I remember kevin did presconference at, THE time i think in the middle Of the blazer series where he was. Really upset why does it always have to Be the WARRIOR unt Kd the Warriors, Aunt kad because Suddenly the warriors were played really WELL.
Without kde my, feeling was, you know he's not going to come back unless he's ready to, come BACK and i think that a lot of people felt the. Same way and.
Everybody's up they got a chance.
To win this Staff.
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