Kevin Durant wasn’t sure that Stephen Curry would welcome him with open arms to the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
Kevin Durant changed the course of NBA history when he decided to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors.
It was a controversial decision, as Durant joined the team that beat him and the Thunder in the playoffs just months prior.
What followed was a massively successful stint, as Durant and the Warriors dominated the NBA. Durant took the Warriors to three NBA Finals and won two NBA championships and two Finals MVPs.
But when Durant first joined the Warriors, he was worried that Stephen Curry would not welcome him to the team because of his initial reaction.
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In an unreleased excerpt from Stephen Curry’s book, he talked about Kevin Durant joining the team in the summer of 2016.
Curry was on vacation with his family when the deal was announced. This is why he didn’t have an immediate response, which led Kevin Durant to wonder if he didn’t like his arrival.
“On July 4, when he announced his decision to join Golden State, I was in Hawaii on a family vacation. K tried to call me before he told the world, but with the time difference from the East Coast, I was still asleep by the time he announced.
“Half the day—and half the news cycle—had passed before I even knew what was going on. I thought you were pissed off when you didn’t call me back.”
Stephen Curry didn’t respond to Durant’s announcement because it was 5:38 AM in Hawaii when it happened. But the two did form a strong bond during their time together.
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant could have reunited last season
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant enjoyed a lot of success together, but the forward would end up leaving the Warriors for the Brooklyn Nets just three years later.
However, last winter, Durant had the option of rejoining the Warriors via a trade. But surprisingly, he turned it down.
Durant later revealed to Draymond Green that he didn’t want to be traded mid-season. Which is why he turned down the chance and would end up leaving in the summer for the Houston Rockets.
The Warriors will face Durant and the Rockets several times next season, which means Stephen Curry will get the chance to compete against his former teammate.