Virtual fans. False crowd noise. An insurmountable explosion in the third quarter. Kevin Durant’s return to the Bay Area was not exactly something to remember.
But again, it never would be. The Golden State Warriors hardly look like the team that Durant helped lead to two championships in three seasons. Instead of making the unmistakable trip across the Bay Bridge to Oakland that leads to the imperfect Oracle Arena, on Saturday Durant arrived at the modern $ 1.4 billion Chase Center, which barely existed long enough for the paint to dry. The last time KD wore Warriors’ Royal Blue and California Golden Yellow was almost two years ago, meaning that any remaining vitriol from Durant’s infamous confrontation with Draymond Green or his perceived jealousy of Steph Curry had already dissolved.
If you expected to have all the sensations during the Brooklyn Nets’ 134-117 victory over the Warriors on Saturday night, disappointingly you didn’t go out with any of them.
“There weren’t a lot of emotions, it’s just a game of basketball,” Green said of playing against Durant for the first time since 2016. “I think a lot of emotions usually come from the accumulation of things. There’s not much accumulation in these strange times.”
It was appropriate, when you really think about it. Durant Warriors’ term ended with an Oracle crowd as quiet as the Chase Center on Saturday, as fans watched the Toronto Raptors celebrate the title in the last NBA game in the building. Durant, of course, wasn’t even there – he was at home, recovering from an Achilles tendon injury that unceremoniously ended the series of five consecutive appearances in the Golden State finals. The disappointment of a homeless return from the COVID era without fans reflects the disappointment of the abrupt end of the Warriors dynasty.
In terms of real play, the overwhelming power of the stars slowly and methodically stifled the opposition, only this time it was the Warriors who hosted the Nets’ Cerberus of Durant basketball, James Harden and Kyrie Irving. A third quarter blitz, once a regular occurrence for the Warriors, saw the Nets double their lead at halftime to 26 points, making the fourth half a mere formality. The Brooklyn trio featured chemistry and altruism, echoing the historic Warriors quartet of Durant, Green, Curry and Klay Thompson.
Durant finished with 20 points. Curry scored 27, but hit just 2 out of 9 points out of 3. Green continued his habit of filling the stats sheet with six points, eight assists and seven rebounds. All the while, Thompson watched from the sidelines as he continues to rehabilitate the same Achilles injury from which Durant recovered admirably.
In the end, though, tonight was never about the game. It was about the members of one of the most impressive basketball teams ever assembled, recognizing and reflecting on past glory. ONE brilliant tribute played on the video card inside the arena. Durant and Green laughed as they lined up during a free throw. Curry and Thompson embraced Durant, briefly and safely, after the game. These four, along with coach Steve Kerr, share a bond that will never be taken away from them, no matter how unsatisfying last season and Durant’s departure may have been.
“I remember a level of basketball that I think has never been reached before,” said Kerr before Saturday’s game, specifically recalling Game 5 of the Warriors’ 2017 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers. “It looked like the future of basketball, with 10 supremely skilled basketball players on the court at the same time and without big traditional men and the ground spreading … This level of play, I remember leaving that game just thinking, there was never a better level of offensive strength in a basketball game than what we just saw. “
Curry shared a similar sentiment, saying Durant’s three seasons with Golden State were “some of the best basketball I think the world has ever seen.” He also appreciates the sacrifice that each player made for the final prize.
“The ability to bring together so much talent and experience and make it work, there was no guarantee that it would work, and we found out, and it was an incredible race – one that when all is said and done, we will remember the heights we achieved and achieved. It was an incredible three years. “
Everyone has an opinion on Durant’s decision to join the Warriors after a record NBA 73-win season. The debates will escalate over whether the Golden State would have been able to continue its races in the finals, even if KD had not signed with them. As with anything big, we are also left with the uncomfortable question of what could have happened if Durant decided to sign again with the Warriors instead of joining Brooklyn.
But the lesson we all learned last year is that it is not healthy to waste time thinking about what could have been. Instead of regretting the impossibility of getting together with friends, we can remember an amazing night and send a text message to our friends with an inside joke about it.
Thompson is hurt. Curry and Green are fighting for their lives in the playoffs with an unknown group. Durant is trying to start a new dynasty in Brooklyn. As everyone showed on Saturday night, however, it never hurts to spend some time remembering an unforgettable experience.
“My stay here at Golden State was a lot of fun,” said Durant after the game. “It is a great learning experience, especially learning the game of basketball and a different philosophy. I will take this with me for the rest of my life.”