Former Seattle Supersonic #2 pick and Rookie of the Year Kevin Durant has won his first championship and it wasn’t with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
When Durant joined the Golden State Warriors this past summer, many chastised his decision. They compared it LeBron James’s “Decision” to join the Miami Heat with Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh to win not one, not two... no wait, two NBA titles. They claimed Durant was giving up, succumbing to a “if you can’t beat them, join them” attitude. However, in these NBA Finals, Durant wasn’t a hanger-on. He wasn’t riding anyone’s coattails. He was dominant. He was the reason the Warriors won their second title in three years. And he was the Finals’ Most Valuable Player.
Durant scored over 30 points in every game of this Finals, including 39 in the decisive game five, and averaged 35.2 over the series. He is only the sixth player to accomplish such a feat, joining some elite company: Elgin Baylor, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. Boston Celtics) in 1962 (7 games), Rick Barry, San Francisco Warriors (vs. Philadelphia 76ers) in 1967 (6 games), Michael Jordan, Chicago Bulls (vs. Phoenix Suns) in 1993 (6 games), Hakeem Olajuwon, Houston Rockets (vs. Orlando Magic) in 1995 (4 games), and Shaquille O'Neal, Los Angeles Lakers (vs. Indiana Pacers) in 2000 (6 games).
Durant had one of the most impressive offensive performances in NBA history, shooting 55.6% from the field, 47.4% from behind the three-point line, and 92.7% from the free throw line. Those kind of numbers put him not just in, but ABOVE, elite company;
- Michael Jordan in 1992: 35.8 points, 53% from the field, 42.9% from three, and 89.1% from the line
- Chauncey Billups in 2004: 21 points, 51% from the field, 47.1% from three, 92.9% from the line
- Ray Allen in 2008: 20.3 points, 51% from the field, 52% from three, 87% from the line
- Penny Hardaway in 1995: 25.5 points, 50% from the field, 45.8% from three, 91.3% from the line
Durant had the most efficient scoring performance of all time, and also had 8.4 rebounds, 5.4 assists, and 1.6 blocks per game. It was truly amazing to watch.
From the city of Seattle, congratulations Kevin!
Comments
He earned every bit of it
Man. What could’ve been in Seattle.
By Paul Rogers on 06.12.17 9:03pm
Agree 100%
Presti did an amazing job of rebuilding the team extraordinarily quickly….and hasn’t done squat since.
By Ultrasonics on 06.12.17 9:34pm
He was gifted with Durant
You don’t have to be a genius to build from there.
By cortone on 06.12.17 9:40pm
Three top 3 picks in a row
By Taylor Bartle on 06.12.17 9:48pm
True
The ownership had the unique situation of benefiting if the team sucked and three top three picks help a lot, but I but if it was Sacramento they would have found a way to mess it up.
By Ultrasonics on 06.12.17 10:14pm
I stand corrected
Westbrook was #4
By Taylor Bartle on 06.12.17 10:15pm
Okay
Not true then, but close enough!
By Ultrasonics on 06.12.17 10:17pm
Thank you, Portland!
Always helping your big brother out.
By itsanospreybich on 06.13.17 9:47am
Congrats. .. . KD. Well-deserved. Just wish it would've been in the green & gold.
And. . . oh yeah. How do those tears taste OKC ??
By kinsesu on 06.12.17 9:06pm
Bitter. Oh so bitter. I wouldn't wish that on anybody...
…else.
Think what’s going through Portland fans’ minds. Bowie and Oden. Way rather would have seen KD go to Portland than get exiled to that place. Thankful that he escaped AND won a Championship the very next year!
By cortone on 06.12.17 9:45pm
Congrats KD
Though I have to add that those are some ugly assed NBA Champions hats.
By Mark.S40 on 06.12.17 9:06pm
...
By Mark.S40 on 06.12.17 9:10pm
Westbrook wants a championship too
This might give be the final push for him to get out of OKC.
By Ultrasonics on 06.12.17 9:33pm
HE almost pushed his way to Boston last summer
He was very very close to being gone too.
By Kevin Nesgoda on 06.12.17 9:50pm
Not that it would have happened
But a K.D. vs. Westbrook finals would have been highly ironic.
By Ultrasonics on 06.12.17 10:15pm
I think Russ
Could have put the Celtics over the top, but then we wouldn’t have gotten that big IT emergence this year.
By Kevin Nesgoda on 06.13.17 8:04am
So glad for KD
First a Sonic. Always a Sonic in my heart.
By cortone on 06.12.17 9:35pm
Congrats to KD! A Sonic Forever!!!
man what a series KD had, I think he’s going to win a few more in his career with the Warriors! Well Done!!!
By Sonics3313 on 06.12.17 9:37pm
MVP KD was a "man possessed".
F-U Clay, Clay !!
By kinsesu on 06.12.17 11:09pm
Do none of you feel at least a little badly for OKC?
I mean, to have their franchise player ripped away and watch him celebrate with another team. I can’t even imagine.
JUST KIDDING!!!!!!!!! HAHAHA. Congrats Kevin! Seattle loves you buddy. Glad he got out of the dust bowl and was able to win it all with a quality franchise. I have been rooting for them because I never want him to go back to jokelahoma city.
Now let’s get those Sonics back
By 206er on 06.12.17 9:52pm
Not badly at all
But I do have a small amount of sympathy for the fans that undeservedly had a championship contender and then saw the pieces disappear one by one.
By Ultrasonics on 06.12.17 10:11pm
You mean Sonics fans?
Although our peices didn’t disappear they were sold by our city government and snatched quite abruptly from clay bennett. No sympathy for okc. they still have a team to watch. I would be ecstatic to watch a lousy team in Seattle.
By 206er on 06.12.17 11:26pm
No
Obviously your reply is popular but that’s clearly not what I was saying. Maybe I should have emphasized the word "small" more. I have no sympathy toward OKC fans that were or are disrespectful of Seattle – I can’t hold it against them for cheering for their team just as I would have had no problem with cheering for a team that moved here from Sacramento, Milwaukee, or anywhere else. I wasn’t ecstatic to watch the lousy team that was in Seattle and owned by Clay Bennett. I think Clay Bennett is a bad owner, unwilling to spend the necessary money to top off a championship caliber team. So in that regard, I have just a tiny bit of sympathy for OKC fans because they will never win a championship with Bennett as the owner and are doomed to years of mediocrity in my opinion. But mostly, knowing this just puts a smile on my face….
By Ultrasonics on 06.13.17 9:37pm
I have zero sympathy for OKC fans. At least the ones I've met. Thru my travels . . . . I've met quite a few. And, I always engage with them (respectfully) - - cause I'm a curious type.
Not one of them acknowledge how they acquired the Thunder. Not one acknowledges the disingenuous dirty dealings by Bennett, McClendon, and Stern. They truly blame Sonics fans and believe that fans "didn’t care enough" to support the team.
If you remember the national poll (ESPN or SI) during the Kings saga.. . . . the poll asked if the Kings should relocate to Seattle. . . . . all across the country it was a resounding "Yes" except for CA (understandable) and Oklahoma.
It’s not personal. . . . .the OKC fans I’ve met thru the years seem like really nice people. They are just in complete denial of how the Sonics became the Thunder. Just met a whole group of OKC fans in Cozumel in April. .. . .same story. Zero acceptance that acquiring the Sonics was in any way deceptive or underhanded. Asked them how they felt about losing KD – - – lots of sour grapes saying he was a traitor and that they had supported him from the beginning of his career.
In good spirited fun trash talk.. . . I reminded them the Sonics drafted KD. They reminded me they HAVE a NBA team to bitch about. Since this convo (in a Cozumel beach bar) was during the NFL draft… . . .I then asked them who their team was going to draft ? Oh, Ooops . . . you don’t have a NFL team. Then I asked them if they thought their MLB team had a chance to make the playoffs this season . . OOOPS – - that’s right.. . . . you don’t have a MLB team either. ZING !!
We all laughed and drank some more while nursing sunburns. So, yeah. . . . screw OKC fans. Even tho, some are pretty damn nice people.
By kinsesu on 06.13.17 1:37am
I think they lied to the OKC fans as much as they lied to us.
I once heard that a man from OKC moved to Seattle for work and was shocked to find out the truth. Who knows ?
By Stevie Peet on 06.14.17 7:30pm