Players were upset he was friends with Green? Really? Or were they upset they lost and made excuses. Durant played his heart out that series and was amazing. Without Durants play they're not in it. This is sour grapes and the excuse mentality in full effect.

meloshouldgo wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:Yes, because having a prior relationship with another player is bad. Durant should have elbowed Green after a kiss at half court like Magic did Thomas. I'm also sure that Barley and Jordan never talked during the season.

Has it become easier to keep in contact with people now a days sure but stuff like this happens all the time. The only difference is Durant was a FA and chose to play with a friend of his.

P.S.

Someone give KP Giannis' number if he doesn't have it already.

Has nothing to do with basic friendship.

Trying to recruit someone during the season goes a bit too far, which is what is implied here.

Clearly his teammates were not happy with what he was doing, so it was seem that they might disagree with you.

All he says is that they texted him. It didn't say the texts were intended as recruitment. Why can't it just be basic friendship? Why are we looking for reasons to hate Durant? (Sic thread title)

Green has admitted to it. http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/draymond-green-recruitment-of-kevin-durant-paid-off-for-warriors/

BigDaddyG wrote:

meloshouldgo wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:Yes, because having a prior relationship with another player is bad. Durant should have elbowed Green after a kiss at half court like Magic did Thomas. I'm also sure that Barley and Jordan never talked during the season.

Has it become easier to keep in contact with people now a days sure but stuff like this happens all the time. The only difference is Durant was a FA and chose to play with a friend of his.

P.S.

Someone give KP Giannis' number if he doesn't have it already.

Has nothing to do with basic friendship.

Trying to recruit someone during the season goes a bit too far, which is what is implied here.

Clearly his teammates were not happy with what he was doing, so it was seem that they might disagree with you.

All he says is that they texted him. It didn't say the texts were intended as recruitment. Why can't it just be basic friendship? Why are we looking for reasons to hate Durant? (Sic thread title)

Green has admitted to it. http://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/draymond-green-recruitment-of-kevin-durant-paid-off-for-warriors/

cbssports.com
Draymond Green's recruitment of Kevin Durant paid off for Warriors
Ananth Pandian

Kevin Durant deciding to join the Warriors was the end result of a long recruitment process by several of Golden State's players. And the one player that reportedly took the lead in the team's recruiting was Draymond Green. In an interview with Alex Kennedy for Sports Illustrated, Green called this "definitely one of the biggest moves in NBA history" and explained how the Warriors sold Durant on their organization:

AK: You aren't just part of the team, you've been a main recruiter over the last year. You've had a lot of conversations and text message exchanges. What were you telling him and what was your pitch?

Green: "I mean, I was really just telling him about the fun we have together--the fun that this team has and how he would be welcome here with open arms. And it's not about 'I' with us on this team. It's all about 'we' and winning championships. He fits that mold perfectly because that's who he is. It doesn't take him changing his whole game or changing his personality to come join us. He's just going to be Kevin."

...

AK: What was the actual meeting with KD like? What was the reception?

Green: "It was great. He was very receptive. He was attentive, and he and his team had questions that we answered. Overall, it was a great vibe in the meeting. I think we all just really meshed from the very start."

Green is one of the most loquacious players in the league so it is not too surprising that he kept in constant contact with Durant. But it is impressive that Green was able to consistently connect with Durant, especially even after the Warriors came back from a 3-1 deficit to defeat the Thunder in the Western Conference finals.

It's amazing that somehow Green was able to convince Durant that despite the Warriors beating the Thunder, Golden State still needed him. This proved to be true in the NBA Finals as the Warriors couldn't close things out against the Cavaliers.

But perhaps the most astonishing aspect of Green's recruitment is that he wanted Durant on his team despite it probably having an impact on aspects of his role on the Warriors. Durant would take away Green's touches on offense and perhaps at times, even his playing time. Yet Green put his personal wants to the side in an effort to improve the Warriors and his selflessness could likely lead to Golden State winning another championship -- or many -- in the future.
Kevin Durant and Draymond Green next to each other
Kevin Durant and Draymond Green: teammates. USATSI

But loyalty is clearly not an option for some.

dk7th wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:

toodarkmark wrote:It's a weird thing about the NBA. Is there another league where people hold it against the teams for trying to be the best they can be? I guess the Yankees or the Cowboys. But in the NBA it seems like the hostility is focused on the player. Like how dare an NBA team try to be the best it can, and how dare this player, this runaway player, go into a better situation. He should be forced to win with the team that arbitrarily chose him in the draft.

Players were upset he was friends with Green? Really? Or were they upset they lost and made excuses. Durant played his heart out that series and was amazing. Without Durants play they're not in it. This is sour grapes and the excuse mentality in full effect.

This was supposedly going on during the season...before the playoffs. This kind of stuff has actually gone on in high school athletics, of all places...I've seen it first hand as kids have transferred to schools for sports reasons, not for academic or family considerations.

This is like one of those HS "academy" schools which takes local HS athletes to create a super team, while throwing academics to the side.

Durant is not the "missing piece" who will get GS into the finals. They were there twice, and should have won twice.

This is a guy who wants a fast track to a title. I'd have more respect for his decision if he went to SA, an aging team, or the Celtics, an up and coming team needing that final piece.

What he did is a lot like fans who root for the non-home team which just happens to be great. You look at the standings and the starts and decide to root for the winner.

If Patrick Ewing demanded a trade to the Bulls during their glory years are you going to give the guy respect?

A ton of former players have been critical of him, though, so its not just something I feel strongly about. I just figure that there is a generation of fans now who simply don't see things in the way they should be seen.

this move by durant is just the natural progression that started back with the gms west and kupchack with gasol, as well as ainge and mchale with garnett. it's a form of collusion with the front offices.

the next step in that collusion progression was lebron, bosh, and wade. lebron never had any intention of going anyplace else. it is still collusion and the knicks were saps for thinking they had any real chance.

now, a few years later, there are suspicions of in-season recruiting on the part of green and whoever else, likely facilitated by the advent of twitter and the like. can't stop that from happening.

durant, like the high schoolers you mention, as well as ainge, west, kupchack, garnett, allen, lebron, etc. also just want to win. a lot of critics of durant's decision are faulting him for simply continuing a trend.

why would durant go to the spurs when they have aldridge and leonard already? obviously a bad idea, coming under the category of "subtraction by addition." the celtics? no, isaiah thomas's game is too similar to westbrook's and durant had been there and done that. and even the clippers would have been a bad idea since again he would be forced to play with another ball-dominant guard. meanwhile the knicks weren't even a consideration.

durant, in my opinion, made the best decision for himself by process of elimination. i don't fault him in the least.

Just have to disagree...Durant did not handle things well, IMO.

I know you aren't a big Anthony fan, but what about this...

During the 2017/8 season Knicks reach the ECF and in a hard fought 7 game series, the Cavs beat the Knicks.

Carmelo, who said he wanted to stay in NYC, opts out of his final year and decides to sign with the Cavs, thinking that its his best and last chance for a title.

Think folks around here are going to wax philosophical and talk about Anthony making "the best decision for himself by process of elimination?"

dk7th wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:

dk7th wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:

toodarkmark wrote:It's a weird thing about the NBA. Is there another league where people hold it against the teams for trying to be the best they can be? I guess the Yankees or the Cowboys. But in the NBA it seems like the hostility is focused on the player. Like how dare an NBA team try to be the best it can, and how dare this player, this runaway player, go into a better situation. He should be forced to win with the team that arbitrarily chose him in the draft.

Players were upset he was friends with Green? Really? Or were they upset they lost and made excuses. Durant played his heart out that series and was amazing. Without Durants play they're not in it. This is sour grapes and the excuse mentality in full effect.

This was supposedly going on during the season...before the playoffs. This kind of stuff has actually gone on in high school athletics, of all places...I've seen it first hand as kids have transferred to schools for sports reasons, not for academic or family considerations.

This is like one of those HS "academy" schools which takes local HS athletes to create a super team, while throwing academics to the side.

Durant is not the "missing piece" who will get GS into the finals. They were there twice, and should have won twice.

This is a guy who wants a fast track to a title. I'd have more respect for his decision if he went to SA, an aging team, or the Celtics, an up and coming team needing that final piece.

What he did is a lot like fans who root for the non-home team which just happens to be great. You look at the standings and the starts and decide to root for the winner.

If Patrick Ewing demanded a trade to the Bulls during their glory years are you going to give the guy respect?

A ton of former players have been critical of him, though, so its not just something I feel strongly about. I just figure that there is a generation of fans now who simply don't see things in the way they should be seen.

this move by durant is just the natural progression that started back with the gms west and kupchack with gasol, as well as ainge and mchale with garnett. it's a form of collusion with the front offices.

the next step in that collusion progression was lebron, bosh, and wade. lebron never had any intention of going anyplace else. it is still collusion and the knicks were saps for thinking they had any real chance.

now, a few years later, there are suspicions of in-season recruiting on the part of green and whoever else, likely facilitated by the advent of twitter and the like. can't stop that from happening.

durant, like the high schoolers you mention, as well as ainge, west, kupchack, garnett, allen, lebron, etc. also just want to win. a lot of critics of durant's decision are faulting him for simply continuing a trend.

why would durant go to the spurs when they have aldridge and leonard already? obviously a bad idea, coming under the category of "subtraction by addition." the celtics? no, isaiah thomas's game is too similar to westbrook's and durant had been there and done that. and even the clippers would have been a bad idea since again he would be forced to play with another ball-dominant guard. meanwhile the knicks weren't even a consideration.

durant, in my opinion, made the best decision for himself by process of elimination. i don't fault him in the least.

??? So Durant's game isn't similar to Thompson's or incompatible with Curry's chucking from deep?

they play a better brand of ball than okc, mostly because as undeniably great as he is, he also has flaws, flaws that alienated durant to the point where durant wanted to move on. durant gets to play a five-man game and this will be a great opportunity to become an elite playmaker along the lines of paul george and paul pierce.

Just have to disagree...Durant did not handle things well, IMO.

you mean he made a bad decision or he didn't handle the matter well publicly?

I know you aren't a big Anthony fan, but what about this...

During the 2017/8 season Knicks reach the ECF and in a hard fought 7 game series, the Cavs beat the Knicks.

Carmelo, who said he wanted to stay in NYC, opts out of his final year and decides to sign with the Cavs, thinking that its his best and last chance for a title.

the melo i saw for 25 games this season? i would be absolutely pissed if he decided to leave after showing what he could do as a playmaker and defending with rigor. the bad games have far outweighed the good and great and even fantastic games he has played as a knick-- if it ends uo being THAT melo i would be pleased to see him move on. and i admit he has grown on me as a person. i think he's turned a corner in terms of character and maturity.

Think folks around here are going to wax philosophical and talk about Anthony making "the best decision for himself by process of elimination?"

if they think like me they would. and of course i am not alone. plenty of people have been fine with durant's move.

I'd say I don't think people would be mad at melo if he left after a 17 win season

I think knick nation would riot if he left one game short of making the finals and leaving for the rival that beat you to go to the chip( that shut is funked up)

More so then Lebron this is the most hated move in NBA history

Nalod wrote:Durant went to three high schools, played a year in Texas, played a year in Seattle, then 8 in OKC.
He is not from OKC. Melo choose NYC. Durant did not choose OKC. This is not "Staying home".
GSW flew out to meet with Durant. Westbrook didn't. Lot of guys didn't go. Durant got in a room with this guys and they all told him to come play with them. He was wanted.

only reason I see for him to not go to GSW is public opinion. Persoally, Bay areas is super nice and more culturally diverse than OKC.
In a perfect world he stays in OKC and over comes adversity and wins there. That how the movie usually goes.

He does not want to be in the "Great Player But..." category of a Ewing, Malone, Stockton, Barkley, etc.

And by the way, he was only "wanted" because of what he can do on the court. You can even make a case that GS players like Green knowingly recruiting him during he season made his OKC players less likely to "want" him because it left a bad taste in his their respective mouths.

fitzfarm wrote:Still think golden state has zero inside game ... Opposing teams should pick them up from half court and force them inside .

Nalod wrote:

WaltLongmire wrote:

Nalod wrote:Durant went to three high schools, played a year in Texas, played a year in Seattle, then 8 in OKC.
He is not from OKC. Melo choose NYC. Durant did not choose OKC. This is not "Staying home".
GSW flew out to meet with Durant. Westbrook didn't. Lot of guys didn't go. Durant got in a room with this guys and they all told him to come play with them. He was wanted.

only reason I see for him to not go to GSW is public opinion. Persoally, Bay areas is super nice and more culturally diverse than OKC.
In a perfect world he stays in OKC and over comes adversity and wins there. That how the movie usually goes.

Actually, given the short memories of so many...Durant is going to GS because of future public opinion.

He does not want to be in the "Great Player But..." category of a Ewing, Malone, Stockton, Barkley, etc.

And by the way, he was only "wanted" because of what he can do on the court. You can even make a case that GS players like Green knowingly recruiting him during he season made his OKC players less likely to "want" him because it left a bad taste in his their respective mouths.

Kind of tough to know whats in his mind unless he actually said "Great player but"...........

I'm just supporting a point of view that is more critical of Durant, and not accepting the "Anything you do is OK because you want to do it" way of thinking that is is more popular in some circles, and seems to be taught in schools who value self-esteem above self-examination.