(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
The Golden State Warriors reached unparalleled levels of success when Kevin Durant was a member of the team.
But was it really Durant who made them so powerful?
Speaking on “Undisputed,” per NBACentral, Keyshawn Johnson asked, “If I put Paul Pierce on the Golden State Warriors with Klay Thompson and Draymond and Steph Curry, you don’t think he could do the same s–t?”
“If I put Paul Pierce on the Golden State Warriors with Klay Thompson and Draymond and Steph Curry, you don’t think he could do the same sh*t?”
– Keyshawn Johnson on Kevin Durant
(h/t @awfulannouncing )
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) July 29, 2024
Is Johnson bad-mouthing Durant or praising his co-host?
Either way, his opinion is that the Warriors would have been champions even if Durant wasn’t on the team and was replaced by someone else, such as Pierce.
This is a point that others have made and it’s a complicated part of Durant’s legacy.
He joined the Warriors when they were already such a powerful squad and the most fearsome team in the West.
He certainly made them better but some have said the strength of the team was because of Curry, Green, and Thompson.
If it was Pierce or someone else in Durant’s place, the Warriors still would have gone all the way, according to Johnson.
Durant’s time with Golden State will be talked about for the rest of his career.
Some people feel it’s a highlight of his time in the NBA and others feel that it made him look like someone chasing a championship ring.
As for Pierce, his place in league history is already secured and he’s a Hall of Famer, ten-time All-Star, and champion in his own right.
The idea of him playing for the Warriors is certainly enticing but it’s something NBA fans will never be able to see.
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