There have been a lot of vocal critics of Kevin Durant for choosing to sign with the Golden State Warriors. Some say the move is throwing off the competitive balance of the league, while others feel KD is taking a shortcut to winning a championship.
If anyone should be upset about the decision — aside from the Oklahoma City Thunder — it’s the Cleveland Cavaliers. They lost to the Warriors in the NBA Finals in 2015 and barely came back to beat them in 2016. So with Durant in the mix, the Cavs’ biggest rival should be even better next season. Despite knowing that, Cavs head coach Tyronn Lue does not begrudge Durant for picking Golden State.
“People get mad about what he did, but to me, I’ve been a player and I’ve been a coach. When you’re free, that means you’re free. You can do what you want to do. He opted to go to Golden State. That’s his choice,” Lue said via the Akron Beacon Journal’s Jason Lloyd. “But they don’t say anything or get mad when guys get cut or they trade guys. Nothing is said about that. But as soon as a guy picks a team he wants to go to, it’s a big deal. I don’t understand it. I like KD. I support him in whatever he wants to do.”
Lue, more than anyone else, could be justified in being upset about this, but he’s not. That shows someone who’s level headed and can see through his feelings to recognize what’s fair and what isn’t. Maybe Charles Barkley should read Lue’s comments to see if that changes his mind.
