Former Golden State Warriors general manager Bob Myers recalled a conversation he had with Stephen Curry.
The 2016 NBA Finals, in which the Golden State Warriors lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, was arguably the biggest upset in history.
In the end, the Warriors, who had a record of 73 wins and 9 losses, advanced to 3 wins and 1 loss, and the Cavs, led by LeBron James, overcame the deficit and were crowned the NBA champion.
That summer, the Warriors bounced back by signing Kevin Durant to the roster. But what did Stephen Curry think of this decision?
When Durant joined the Warriors in 2016, the balance of power in the NBA essentially shifted. The Dubs were unstoppable over the next two seasons as they won the 2017 and 2018 NBA Championships.
In hindsight, the only thing other than injuries that stopped the Warriors was a clash of egos. That said, former Warriors GM Bob Myers recalled how Curry reacted to the prospect of KD’s arrival.
“When the possibility of Kevin Durant came up, it was the same thing in the music world as Bono hearing that John Lennon wanted to join U2, but that’s not going to happen,” Myers began on The Tom Tolbert Show.
“Everyone has an ego. I was there too when I asked him, ‘Do you want Durant on your team?’ That’s big body language, so I did it in person.
“I said, ‘Steph, what do you think about Durant?’ This was after we lost in the Finals, and if he said, ‘Yeah, if you think so, you’re the GM if that’s what you want,’ that’s a no,” Meyers explained.
By that time, Curry was one of the best players in the world, coming off a season in which he won the first-ever unanimous NBA MVP award.
“Or if he says, ‘Hmm, maybe…that’s no.'” The only “yes” is this, “Yes, sure, shall I call him?” And he said yes. Absolutely,” Myers revealed.
It’s clear now that Curry gave the green light to sign Durant. But was it just because of the Warriors’ humiliating loss in the 2016 NBA Finals?
According to Myers, the Dubs always planned to pursue Slim Reaper in the summer of 2016.
“We always need Durant. The only way it won’t work is if we go to the team and the team says no. We have to talk to the players.”
This is a great way to keep your team’s top stars happy. But is this also the reason the Durant-Warriors reunion failed last season?