Steve Kerr: ‘Absurd’ to call Kevin Durant a villain
Warriors coach Steve Kerr does not believe that Kevin Durant should be painted as a villain for deciding to leave the Thunder and join Golden State this off-season.
Durant has received criticism from fans, media and former players after making the decision, with many viewing the move as an attempt to take an easy route to an NBA title.
“To think of Kevin Durant or Steph Curry or any of our guys as villains, it’s kind of absurd. Especially Kevin,” Kerr said in an interview on ESPN Radio's TMI with Michelle Beadle and Ramona Shelburne. “This is one of the most likeable people in this league. He’s just an awesome human being. What he did in Oklahoma City was just amazing for that community.
“Circumstances kind of dictate, I guess, that some people are going to see him as a villain. But it’s only because he decided to go elsewhere to play. He wanted to change his scenery, he wanted a new challenge. More than anything he wanted to play with our guys. He loves Draymond [Green] and Steph and Klay [Thompson] and Andre [Iguodala]. Seeing those guys in New York, he loved seeing the chemistry that exists and he wanted to be a part of it.”
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Durant decided to leave Oklahoma City after spending all nine of his NBA seasons with the Thunder. He joins a Warriors team that finished with the best regular-season record in NBA history last season and was already a favorite to win a championship without him.
Durant averaged 28.2 points and 8.2 rebounds last season, and was named second-team All-NBA.
