Devotion is a synonym for the word loyalty. In the minds of many, loyalty has different meanings. Some think that being faithful to their partner is loyal, or being truthful is loyal; but why is it considered disloyal when people decides to be truthful and faithful to themselves first?
Kevin Durant has been the main focus in the National Basketball Association, because many Oklahoma City Thunder fans feel that he is betraying the city, state and teammates by choosing to go to the Golden State Warriors.
When I think of loyalty, I think that a person should always be loyal to himself or herself before anyone or anything else. Durant left Oklahoma for himself, the way LeBron left Cleveland for Miami just a few years back and there is nothing wrong with that.
Fans of Durant are not mad that he left Oklahoma. Their problem is really that he went to Golden State of all teams.
He went to the team that beat him and his teammates two years in a row in the Western Conference Championship. The team that came back from three games down in the 2015-16 playoffs to get to a second NBA Finals. That is the reason why Durant is getting so much negative feedback; why go to a team that has beaten you many times before?
Durant is great basketball player and sometimes being loyal to yourself is more important than being loyal to a situation that has come up just short of glory in the last nine years.
Durant had every right to leave and no one has the right to judge his decision. At the end of the day, none of the fans, the friends or the management will pay any of Durant’s bills or be able to live the life he wants to live for himself.
The only reason why LeBron went back to Cleveland was to prove a point to the naysayers that he would be able to bring a NBA Championship to Cleveland, then he might opt out of his now contract with the Cavs. LeBron feels he needs to prove things to people; Durant is doing what is best for him no matter what the naysayers say.
Again I go back to the word loyal—is it loyal for a person to go back and forth just for their benefit in proving a point to people as well as benefiting themselves? Or, would you rather a person try to stick it out until they can no longer make things work?
I would take the second option.
I will always respect the person who can go through changes and be adaptable the way Durant was in Oklahoma for nine years—dealing with coaching changes and questionable trades.
Durant has proven that he can go through changes and deal with new teammates and still be loyal to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but sometimes, we as people, hold on to things and situations that we should have let go of much sooner.
For Durant, it was just time to move on. He tried in OKC, didn’t succeed and now he wants to make sure he gets a ring before his career is over.
Durant will make a great addition to the Golden State Warriors. He is a wonderful upgrade to Harrison Barnes. He will now be a part of the “fantastic four,” being a Warrior instead of being double trouble for the Thunder, and if you do the math we all know that four is more than two any day, any time and any place.
Shericka Lawrence may be reached at [email protected].
