Kevin Durant was introduced as the newest member of the Golden State Warriors on Thursday afternoon, and he lavished praise on his new teammates as well as discussing the reasons behind his decision.
Durant was swayed as part of his meeting with Golden State, in which he was struck by the team’s camaraderie and the fact that Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala all attended the meeting.
Kevin Durant: "It was authentic. It was real. It was a feeling I couldn't ignore."
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) July 7, 2016
KD said he was shocked four Ws players came: "It looked like they were holding hands. (Laughs) You could tell they enjoy being together."
— Marcus Thompson (@ThompsonScribe) July 7, 2016
Durant said the decision was not made until 7 a.m. ET on Monday morning, having gone back and forth on it for a few days.
Kevin Durant said he "went back and forth" for two or three days on the decision: "Those memories don't fade"
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 7, 2016
Kevin Durant said he was torn on night of July 3rd. Woke up at 7 a.m. on the 4th and knew he wanted to go to Warriors.
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 7, 2016
Durant acknowledged the difficulty in leaving Oklahoma City, saying he shed tears on the phone with Thunder GM Sam Presti, but he was ready to deal with the barrage of criticism.
Kevin Durant: "That call to Oklahoma City was the hardest thing I’ve had to do in my life. Tears were shed…I trusted my gut."
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 7, 2016
Kevin Durant: "It's an unpopular decision but I can live with it."
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) July 7, 2016
As for his former teammate Russell Westbrook, Durant acknowledged that he was not thrilled by Durant’s departure, but was respectful of his choice.
KD on talking to Russ: "I'm sure he wasn't happy with the decision, but he respected it as my friend."
— Diamond Leung (@diamond83) July 7, 2016
Durant closed by declaring his loyalty to the Warriors long-term despite only signing the two-year deal with an opt-out.
Durant: "I plan on being here. I don't want to go through that again."
— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 7, 2016
Durant seemed nervous at first, but relaxed as he got into it. You can understand why after the decision he made and some of the reactions to it. It was clear from how he spoke that he felt a real connection in the meeting and was drawn to the team and the personnel. There will be an adjustment period and he’ll have to figure out how to play with his new teammates, but it’s hard to believe they won’t figure it out.
