So am I the only one who thinks it's ridiculous that the Warriors are RETIRING Durant's jersey?
I find it a little melodramatic. There is no question that his brief tenure with the Warriors delivered them back-to-back titles in 2017 and 2018. But they had also won a title without him in 2015, and made it to the Finals without him in 2016. He
joined a championship-caliber team, and as great as he was in a Warriors uni, the team was never truly molded in his image. Curry's and Thompson's jerseys will no doubt be hanging from the rafters upon their retirement (and Draymond Green's, as well, I'd guess), and it feels odd to me, maybe even a bit disrespectful towards Curry/Thompson/Green, to start talking about the sanctity of Durant's jersey number as he's kicking dust into your face upon exit.
Don't get me wrong, I'm
thrilled that Durant has left for the Eastern Conference, and that the Warriors will continue to be vulnerable through at least next season. But it's pretty clear to me that Durant never saw his time in Golden State as a long-term dynastic commitment. He used them to get the title monkey off his back, and they used him to guarantee the hoisting of the Larry O'Brien trophy a couple more times. That relationship doesn't strike me as worthy of the gesture of a jersey retirement. But that's just me. Perhaps Warriors fans feel differently.