Its been just over a month since Kevin Durant shocked the basketball world by announcing he would be leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the reigning, two-time Western Conference champion Golden State Warriors, leaving OKC with disappointment and looking for answers.
While only Durant really knows all the factors that went into his choice, an ESPN report suggests that one of the reasons may have been the amount of attention the one-time league MVP received, as he felt as if being in the big spotlight in a smaller town was too much for him.
Per ESPN:
Durant always appeared to be the perfect fit with Oklahoma City, with his humble nature and down-home demeanor. But he also was drawn to a bigger city, not necessarily for the brighter lights, but for the ability to blend. In Oklahoma City, Durant carried a larger-than-life burden everywhere he went. He’d privately lamented to friends an inability to be in public.
Durant is mild-mannered, quiet and humble, so, I guess, something like this does make sense. But to think that he didn’t enjoy the spotlight and being “The Man” in town is a little tough for me to accept. And I’m not sure Thunder fans like the fact that he didn’t like the attention, then went ahead and signed a two-year deal with the most talked about team in the NBA.
Whatever the reason(s) he left, it’s time for everyone in Oklahoma City to stop worrying about the one who got away.