Kevin Durant has many detractors who feel that he and players like LeBron James have hurt the game by creating superteams. One of the highly opinionated is hardwood legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving, and he did not hold his tongue when the discussion of Durant came up in a recent interview.
“Well, these guys, since the prisoners, are running the show and not the warden,” Erving said to Joy De’Angela. “A star player on a team is like, ‘screw this city and all the support they’ve given me, and I’m going South. I’m going to Florida, or I’m going to L.A., or I’m going to Texas, or I’m going somewhere else.’
“These are business decisions, I understand but they have not helped the game. They have not helped to keep the parity within the game when you build these superteams.”
Dame’s Cool But Durant’s Not…
Erving gave Damian Lillard some slack on his request to be traded to the Miami Heat since he was loyal to the Portland Trail Blazers for so long before seeking another option that could lead to a championship.
“Wherever he goes, he’ll probably finish his career there because of his age and the fact he’s played 12-13 years, and he wants a chance to win a championship,” Erving continued. “He doesn’t think he can get it there, that’s a good reason for him. A guy who’s 26 or 27 just hopping around, look at how many times Durant has hopped around.”
Lillard was drafted in 2012 in the first round as the sixth pick by the Portland Trail Blazers. The seven-time NBA All-Star was honored as one of the league’s greatest players of all time when he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team. Lillard shocked many when he requested a trade specifically to the Miami Heat.
However, Erving looks at players like Lillard as having a “good reason” when they have stuck it out with a franchise and the fans who supported them.
Legacy
The trade request for Dame Dolla is about leaving no stone unturned for his legacy.
“Winning the ring is like the ultimate level of success,” Lillard said to JJ Redick on “The Old Man & The Three” podcast back in March. “And I always think about it like how you said, like, you wrestle with that, like, I always think about it like, man, but like, I really do want to win.
“And I don’t think I would go crazy if I didn’t, but like I really want to win a ring. And the thing that I always come back to is, I feel like I’ve checked the box on everything that makes me feel like if I was done today, I’ve had a successful career because I’d be fulfilled because I haven’t taken any shortcuts.”
Although Durant started his playing career in 2007 with the Seattle Supersonics, after the 2007–08 season ended, the team relocated to Oklahoma City, becoming the Oklahoma City Thunder. He played for the franchise until 2016.
Like many others, Erving focuses on Durant’s years after OKC when he was with the Golden State Warriors and took home back-to-back championships in 2017 and 2018. In the quest for a championship, loyalty is the key to respect for Erving, or at least giving ten or more years like Lillard before jumping ship in final pursuit of the ultimate prize in the NBA.
