It's official. Kevin Durant has agreed to sign with the Golden State Warriors. Rumors were circulating a few hours prior to his decision becoming public that it was indeed his intent. He leaves the Oklahoma City Thunder in a very rough spot, but in the back of everyone's mind there was always that concern that Russell Westbrook would stay with the team when he becomes a free-agent next season.
Although, it's easy to do this now, but it all makes sense when you think about it. In an interview with The Oklahoman's Anthony Anthony Slater, Durant made the following statement:
"I'm worried about basketball. That's what it is for me. It's a basketball decision. I'm looking forward to the future."
Social media absolutely exploded when he made his announcement via The Players Tribune. In his story, "The Next Chapter," Durant stated:
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"It really pains me to know that I will disappoint so many people with this choice, but I believe I am doing what I feel is the right thing at this point in my life and my playing career." Whether it's the right decision in your mind or not, at the end of the day it's ultimately up to Durant.
Most of the uproar is comparing Durant's decision to LeBron James' decision. Whichever you decide had a more credible reason to leave their respected teams, they're no different. Both made decisions based on what they feel like is better for their personal preference.
It's simple. He wants to win. Approaching his 10th season in the league, Durant still hasn't won a ring in Oklahoma City. They've reached the Finals just one time in the 2011-12 season where they lost in just five games to the Miami Heat. This past season, the Thunder came just one win shy of another NBA Finals appearance, leading the Warriors 3-1, and blowing three consecutive games to lose in the Western Conference Finals.
Maybe that's what leaves such a bitter taste in everyone's mouth. He ends up joining forces with the team that just eliminated him about a couple months
ago. In Golden State, there's a chance for history to be made once again. But, in a variety of ways. First, they probably have the best roster of any team in NBA history. The fact they have the back-to-back MVP Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green is already a quality big thee. Then you add former MVP and scoring champion Durant and all of the sudden there is talk of a 82-0 season. That's what made this decision so tough for Durant -- turning down the chance to make history. The fact this team is still young, means they can win multiple championships for years to come. This is the new age in the NBA. With the salary cap steadily growing, more teams are capable of pulling off these kinds of deals. Role players and getting starters' money, starter's are getting star money, and stars are going to join other stars. There's so much money to go around. One takeaway from all of these shenanigans, is you can't criticize a player for not winning a championship, and then criticize him when he takes the best opportunity to win. Double-standard at it's finest. It'll be intriguing to see how this all unfolds once the season starts.
But to expect this is really ludicrous. Kobe truly believes that the ends justify the means. If he shoots the ball 3 for 21 on any given night but his third make happens to be a game winner, Kobe is a happy man. And if that means that he is hard to play with and teammates do not get along with him, then so be it. In Kobe’s words, “Friends come and go but banners hang forever.”
The Cleveland Cavaliers struggle to get at least three of their players to perform at the levels of Golden State. The Cleveland Cavaliers only have one player who can put up more than twenty points in the 2015-2016 season and that is Lebron James. ‘James scored 25.3 points per game last season as stated on ESPN.com.” (HalfRest) With only one player scoring over twenty points compared to Golden States’ three players with over twenty makes it obvious to people that Cleveland Cavaliers struggle against the Warriors. “Lebron gets 7.8 rebounds per game compared to Durant’s 8.2 rebounds per game.” (HalfRest) This shows an even better statistic for the Golden State Warriors and makes them look even more unbeatable. Lebron is the only well performing player Cleveland could rely on and without him they wouldn’t have gotten as far as they did in the Finals. All Golden State players on the starting lineup can perform well behind the three-point line unlike the Cleveland Cavaliers who only depend on their guards to shoot from that distance. “Before the fourth quarter even started, Curry told Thompson that he would continue to look for him. Curry, the league 's two-time reigning most valuable player, tends to produce his finest basketball in late-game situations. But he could sense that Thompson was rolling.” (Cacciola) “The Warriors produced quality shots with screens, cuts and passes. They looked for the open man. They trusted one another to make the right decisions. In basketball, a pass is the greatest form of trust.” (Cacciola) That quote makes a good point for any situation but especially basketball. In basketball, you must give your other teammates a chance and that’s exactly what the Warriors do. In a game if one person gets on fire the whole team gets on fire. Meanwhile, with Cleveland only one player carries the weight of the team and
Wilt Chamberlain was the first NBA player to score more than 30,000 cumulative points over his career, and the first and only player to score 100 points in a single game. "They say nobody is perfect. Then they tell you practice makes perfect. I wish they'd make up their minds." Without Wilt Chamberlain the world would have missed one of the greatest basketball players in the history of
Looking at the statistics, not only were they unsuccessful, ... ... middle of paper ... ... from. Like I said before, the NBA is a business, and the main objective of a business is to make money. They have to realize that the big money in sports comes from corporate dollars: Sponsorships, Commercials, and Luxury Suites.
Stephen Curry, currently one of the best players in the NBA, experienced an obstacle when he was not to a top college. Rather than seeing this as an end to his NBA dreams, he overcame this obstacle by turning it in to an opportunity. As a member of the Davidson College team, the underdogs at the 2008 NCAA tournament, he was able to demonstrate his skills during his teams dream run to the final 8. Through his shooting prowess and never give up mentality he showed the basketball world his ability to change the course of a game. Had he not been challenged by this obstacle he may not have had the opportunity to demonstrate his skills, with this opportunity acting as a catalyst for many more in the future.
Starting my freshman year at County High School, I played basketball and loved every minute of it. I wouldn’t be conceited enough to say I was good, but God did bless me with the talent to play. My life revolved around the sport of basketball; some would say I slept, ate, and breathed every part of it. I spent all my time training and practicing to make myself a more dedicated athlete. This dedication not only helped me as a player, but also molded me into the person I am today. It somehow helped to prepare me for what defeat I would face with back surgery in the future.
New entrants into this industry are unusual since NBA League approval and a sharp franchise fee stand in the way of potential new team owners. Moreover, attempting to deceive the NBA would put the following difficulties into an entrepreneur’s path are: massive capital costs, lack of brand reputation, lack of TV revenue, and steep competition for talent. Extension teams occasionally do get approval, like the Charlotte Bobcats founded in 2004. Though, the competition that so many different industries face from new entrants is practically non-existent in professional basketball.
Michael Jordan once said “I will not let anything get in the way of me and my competitive enthusiasm to win”. This have help people of all ages get through their burdens and do something they love instead of doing some negative. For many people basketball has become more than a game, it’s the way of life. The American game of basketball has traveled now, it’s played by more than 250 million people worldwide.
“The odds of a high school basketball player making it to the “next level” to play college basketball (DI, II, or III) is slim. In fact, only 3.4% of high school players go on to play college basketball. Taking it even further, only 1.2% of college basketball players go on to get drafted in the NBA” (Winters, 2016). There are two types of players in the game. There are the kids who play basketball because they are athletic, and all they are seeking to gain is the recognition and awards. They want to be known. Those players are self-centered, they do not play for the team, and generally don’t play because they love the game. These are the types of players who don’t usually go on to play at the next level. On the other hand, there are the players that absolutely dedicate their life to the game of basketball just because they love the game. That is what coaches are looking for in a player, and that is the kind of player I am striving to be.
He realizes he doesn't want to be the old Dirk that thinks everything is gonna happen around him with no effort. In the end Dirk becomes more humble when he saves the entire world from being destroyed. Even though no one will ever know he saved the world he does and the old Dirk would have flaunted his accomplishments but he keeps that one close to home and owns it within himself. When you think Dirk would be at his most confident after saving the world he isn’t. He changed into a humble young man and that shows that his past doesn't predict his
As a result, Adam Silver, commissioner of the NBA, banned Donald Sterling for life. Sterling could not attend nor participate in any NBA related activities, and he was forced to sell his franchise.... ... middle of paper ... ...
When you look at a basketball what do you see? Most would see an orange, sphere, shaped rubber ball. There are black lines and real leather. If you look closer, you would even see the size of the ball in which you are playing with. A basketball could be just a toy for many, or even represent a release for others, but for me, it means a lot more. A basketball represents my blood, sweat, tears, passion, sacrifice, and most of all, a sense of belonging, like a family. At this moment in my life, there are only three things I devote my life to- family, friends, and basketball. Basketball has shaped my life probably more than anything else. Basketball has instilled in me a vicious will to achieve and embrace my ambitions instead of fearing them. Basketball gave me an open opportunity to try something new. New opportunities and experiences are not such a big deal anymore. From academics to personal matters, the lessons that I have learned from basketball has impacted my life.
“People are remarkably bad at remembering long lists of goals. One may have learned this at a professional level when trying to get my high-performance coaching clients to stay on track; the longer their lists of to-dos and goals, the more overwhelmed and off-track they got. Clarity comes with simplicity.” As a child he always looked at being able to play or coach a sport at the professional level. For the reason of me just loving the game of Basketball. Also i know it will make an impact on lives because people look up to you and the money in make will give back to communities and change lives around you. The career of a Professional Coach is a challenging and fun career,because of the level of competition and it’s a dream job. The research will describe the career of
“Life is like a basketball, it bounces up and down.” I love basketball. I feel affection for the taste of victory, when you win a game. However, I also find losing a worthwhile experience. I worship the feeling where you score a point. It’s slow motion at first, as you gaze at the shot you’ve made, wondering if it is going to manage. Then the taste of your salty sweat and the sound of your pounding heart are back in action. *Swoosh* the ball rapidly swirls into the hoop and falls through the net. It is so stunning, and so breath-taking. “Beautiful shot! BEAUTIFUL!” the coach would yell. Everyone would give a little cheer, and I would smile and look down. I am proud to make the shot, but not cocky about it. It’s for the team, teamwork… I would think in my head. Afterwards, I would be focusing on how to get my head completely into the game, that’s how addicting it is.
in the league agrees to the rules set by the NBA from the beginning. The rules