6/13/2017 The Golden State Warriors are the 2017 NBA Champions! KD wins Finals MVP as Expected.Read NowHate It or Love It, The Golden State Warriors are World Champions.Game 5 in Oracle Arena was electric to say the least. The deafening atmosphere ultimately became the setting for the Warriors' second NBA title in three years. This is quite an impressive feat, and many claim that this wouldn't have been done without the Warriors' acquisition of Finals MVP, Kevin Durant. No matter what the public opinion is of his move to the Warriors, it's undeniable that his NBA Finals performance was absolutely sensational. Durant averaged 35.5 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game. The man deserved to win MVP of the NBA Finals. Period. Without him, the Warriors definitely wouldn't have defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games. Along with Durant's, Stephen Curry's Finals performance was excellent. Curry averaged 26.8 points, 9.4 assists, and 8 rebounds per game. Both former NBA MVP's showed out; there's no question about that. Now, they have a championship to back it up.
What does this mean for LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers? James made history by averaging a triple double in the NBA Finals, which has NEVER been done before. Imagine all the greats who played in the Finals, from Michael Jordan to Wilt Chamberlain. None of them had accomplished such a thing, but LeBron James did, and he still lost. If there's anyone to blame for the Finals loss, it is not LeBron James. He said it himself: he "left everything on the floor." Kyrie Irving also played well, averaging 29.4 points per game. Unfortunately, these performances weren't enough to overcome the Warriors' star power. So, now what? LeBron James is now 3-5 in the NBA Finals. While going to the NBA Finals eight times is very impressive, winning only three of them isn't very helpful for his case in the "greatest of all time" argument. He could stay with the Cavaliers and add potential weapons such as former Pacers' star Paul George to the squad, or he could take his talents elsewhere like he did in 2010. This year's off-season is about to be very interesting... Durant FINALLY has his first ring, and he's looking forward to continuing this run with the Warriors. Like it or not, Kevin Durant can call himself an NBA Champion. His championship celebration with the Warriors has mirrored his performance in the Finals- unapologetic. The Warriors' dominance is going to continue as Durant's back for another year. The doors will open for him in free agency again in 2018. It's uncertain whether he will stay with the Warriors or not, but it's likely that free agency is that last thing on his mind right now. It is something interesting to think about, though. Superstars all over the league are planning on ways to stop the Warriors' unstoppable run. This could mean that more super teams will be formed. That may be a good thing for the NBA because of the competitive aspect, but it could also mean bad news for teams trying to hold on to their franchise players (Example? Paul George and the Indiana Pacers). The NBA is going to endure an interesting transition over the next few years, and it's all because of Kevin Durant's controversial decision to go to the Warriors. Durant may disagree, though. He stated that LeBron started all of this with the Miami Heat, but there's a previous article on this website that proves him wrong: stop-comparing-kevin-durants-arrival-in-golden-state-to-lebrons-arrival-in-miami.html. Keep your eyes open in free agency, because more moves that resemble Durant's are about to made. Until then, congratulations to the 2017 NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors.
1 Comment
Kaiser
6/13/2017 11:28:27 am
If it didn't matter whay people said, no one would have to say "it doesn't matter what people say ". He knows his legacy will take a hit for this. He joined the bullies that beat down him and his friends. The Dubs as an organization did what all of us would do, but a sucker move like joining the very bullies that beat me isn't in my DNA.
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