Kevin Durant's Decision to Join Warriors Catches Attention on Nine-Year Anniversary
Kevin Durant's been part of four different NBA teams so far, but let's be honest — there's one move that still gets everyone talking like it happened yesterday. His decision to join the star-studded Golden State Warriors back in 2016 was bold, controversial and depending on who you ask, maybe even a little unfair.
Advertisement
Yet for KD, it turned out to be the most successful decision of his career. Crazy enough, it's now been nine years since that moment rocked the league — and with the Fourth of July rolling around, fans couldn't help but bring it back up and relive all the debates, drama and championships that came with it.
An account on X gave fans a major throwback with an image of Kevin Durant and a caption that said, '9 YEARS AGO TODAY! Kevin Durant took his talents to Golden State. The Warriors won 154 out of 208 games with KD'
In reaction to the post, fans who were sent down memory lane had a lot to say.
One fan said, "Crazy stat. What a time."
Advertisement
"there's ppl on this app that weren't old enough to experience how insane this was." said another fan.
"The biggest (expletive) move in sports history lol.", said a fan who was clearly not impressed with KD's decision.
Another fan added, "It was a hilariously great run."
"154 out of 208 is crazy.", pointed out another.
Even former NBA player Evan Turner has things to say. "Playing against that team was equivalent to playing a pickup game vs your big cousins. So advanced and Fun to watch but it was still lame and UNGUARDABLE."
Advertisement
Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30), Suns forward Kevin Durant (35)© John Hefti-Imagn Images
Back then, everyone basically accused Golden State of 'cheating' the system by adding an MVP to a team that had already won 73 games. It looked like they'd just stacked the deck and broken the league.
He averaged 25.8 points per game, 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists in his entire stint with the Warriors.
Since then? It's been tougher, more minutes, more pressure, and no deep playoff runs with Brooklyn or Phoenix. It's not a knock on him but just proof that those Warriors years were something special.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 5, 2025, where it first appeared.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles

Yahoo
14 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Angel Reese, Alyssa Thomas, Skylar Diggins headline WNBA All-Star reserves
Phoenix Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas, Seattle Storm guard Skylar Diggins and Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese highlight the list of 2025 WNBA All-Star Game reserve selections announced Sunday. The WNBA revealed the 12 reserve players, with the league's 13 head coaches voting for three guards, five frontcourt players and four players at either position, regardless of conference. Advertisement Two Washington Mystics rookies — Kiki Iriafen and Sonia Citron — have been named to the All-Star Game, which is set for July 19. They will join Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers, who had previously been announced as an All-Star starter, as the rookies in the game. Three rookies mark the most to participate in the exhibition game since 2011. Golden State Valkyries forward Kayla Thornton and Seattle Storm guard Gabby Williams were the two other first-year All-Star reserves named by the coaches Sunday. The initial selection of the All-Star starters was conducted through a combination of voting by fans (50 percent), a national panel of media members (25 percent) and current WNBA players (25 percent). Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark and Minnesota Lynx star Napheesa Collier will be the two team captains, having been the two lead vote-getters in the fan vote. Clark and Collier will select their teams, picking the starters first and then the reserves. Minnesota's Cheryl Reeve will coach Team Clark, while the New York Liberty's Sandy Brondello will coach Team Collier. Advertisement The full pool of 2025 WNBA All-Star players: Starters: Aliyah Boston (Indiana Fever) Paige Bueckers (Dallas Wings) Caitlin Clark (Indiana Fever) Napheesa Collier (Minnesota Lynx) Allisha Gray (Atlanta Dream) Sabrina Ionescu (New York Liberty) Nneka Ogwumike (Seattle Storm) Satou Sabally (Phoenix Mercury) Breanna Stewart (New York Liberty) A'ja Wilson (Las Vegas Aces) Reserves: Skylar Diggins (Seattle Storm) Alyssa Thomas (Phoenix Mercury) Angel Reese (Chicago Sky) Sonia Citron (Washington Mystics) Rhyne Howard (Atlanta Dream) Kelsey Mitchell (Indiana Fever) Kelsey Plum (Los Angeles Sparks) Courtney Williams (Minnesota Lynx) Advertisement Gabby Williams (Seattle Storm) Jackie Young (Las Vegas Aces) Kiki Iriafen (Washington Mystics) Kayla Thornton (Golden State Valkyries) Citron, Iriafen among three rookie first-timers The Mystics entered April's draft with two of the first five selections. A few months later, both of their picks have become All-Stars. Citron, the No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, has been a versatile contributor for Washington, ranking second in scoring (14.6 points per game), third in rebounding (4.9) and fifth in assists (2.0) per game among rookies. Iriafen, the No. 4 pick, has already been among the league's most effective rebounders, ranking fourth in the league in rebounds per game (8.3). Advertisement Storm, Fever are most represented One of the most interesting questions heading into Sunday's reveal was who, if anyone, would have more than three All-Star players. With Mitchell making the All-Star team for the third consecutive year, the Fever will be well represented at All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, and the Storm's trio of Ogwumike, Diggins and Williams also reflects a stellar first half from Seattle. Williams will be a first-time player in the game, having averaged career-highs in points (13.3) and assists (4.7), with Seattle 25 points better per 100 possessions with her on the court than with her off of it. '(Being an All-Star) is not something that I have put pressure on myself to become,' Williams told . 'The fact I can still be myself and still be considered for an All-Star spot is huge.' Advertisement Said Storm coach Noelle Quinn: 'An amazing human being, and I think the way that she's playing speaks for itself.' Although it appeared during the season's first half that the Liberty could potentially have four All-Stars, they will have only two in the game. Star center Jonquel Jones would have almost definitely made the exhibition had she not been limited of late with an ankle injury — she's played just nine games this season — while guard Natasha Cloud went through a lull in the season's first half. One of the biggest surprises was that the Dream did not receive three All-Stars. Howard joined Gray as Atlanta's representatives, but center Brionna Jones was left off the roster. Jones, Sykes are the biggest omissions Jones not making the All-Star Game is frankly one of the biggest surprises in recent memory. The 6-feet-3 center has been among the best frontcourt players in the league this season, recording eight double-doubles in her first 18 games after having recorded just 12 career double-doubles in eight prior seasons before joining Atlanta. Advertisement Jones is tied for fifth in the league in HerHoopStats' win-shares metric, bullying opponents on the inside. She is second in the WNBA in offensive rebounds and in the league's top five in second-chance points per game. She's scored in single-digits only three times this season as one of the most efficient bigs in the league. A recent scoring surge by Thornton likely led to Jones being on the outside of the July competition, but it's still surprising to see the three-time All-Star center not receive the nod for the fourth time. Credit to the Mystics for getting two players in the All-Star Game, but the fact that veteran guard Brittney Sykes is not one of them is the other major shocker from this reveal. It wouldn't have been entirely shocking had Sykes been named a starter, as she's averaging career-highs in points (17.9) and assists (4.6) per game while remaining as one of the league's best defenders. So much of Washington's offense revolves around Sykes breaking down opponents off the dribble, and she's thrived in first-year coach Sydney Johnson's system. Multiple Minnesota Lynx players made the All-Star team is not surprising, though it is notable that neither guard Kayla McBride nor Alanna Smith was chosen. McBride was one of the four starters picked by 's Sabreena Merchant, while Smith has developed into a focal point for Minnesota on both ends. Guard Courtney Williams received the All-Star nod and will be in the game for the second time in her career, but the Lynx have the league's best record and will have only two players represented in the game. Advertisement This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Seattle Storm, Los Angeles Sparks, Washington Mystics, Atlanta Dream, Chicago Sky, Indiana Fever, Dallas Wings, Las Vegas Aces, Phoenix Mercury, Golden State Valkyries, WNBA, women's sports 2025 The Athletic Media Company


Gizmodo
16 minutes ago
- Gizmodo
‘Sinners' Used Costumes From a Scrapped ‘Blade' Reboot
The moment Sinners was formally unveiled, folks immediately began making comparisons to Blade. Black people fighting vampires in the south sounds perfect for Marvel's daywalker, and it turns out the two have more than that core concept in common. In a recent ScreenCrush interview, Sinners producer Sev Ohanian revealed 'a lot' of the film's background actors are wearing costumes originally meant for the Maheshala Ali-led horror flick. Both films share a costumer in Black Panther costume designer Ruth E. Carter, who's previously stated Blade would've also been a period piece set in the 1920s. Ohanian backed up those claims, saying Marvel's movie would've 'dealt with the past around the same era. 'Ruth happened to have a warehouse full of period-appropriate clothes, and it was like, 'Yo, we got to shoot this movie like tomorrow,'' continued Ohanian. 'And Marvel was generous enough and kind enough to let us basically purchase it at price.' Even before Carter confirmed it, there were rumors of a version of Blade's script that spanned one or more time periods. It's unclear which version of the script this idea was linked to, but the situation around this character's return to the movies has been so troubled, one iteration was said to have basically made him a side character. With Sinners having made a ton of money and lit the world on fire, there's no doubt it won't be in the conversation surrounding Blade once that one eventually rears its head. Kevin Feige recently said Marvel might've finally figured out a proper take for the character, so we'll see if this'll all be worth it at some point in the future. Maybe. [via Variety] Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what's next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.
Yahoo
17 minutes ago
- Yahoo
NBA rumors: Warriors, Celtics among several Al Horford suitors in free agency
The post NBA rumors: Warriors, Celtics among several Al Horford suitors in free agency appeared first on ClutchPoints. The first day of free agency has brought forth plenty of player movement, with teams such as the Atlanta Hawks and Memphis Grizzlies being among the busiest. To teams already above the salary cap, moving in free agency isn't quite as easy, as they have to maneuver smartly to stay below the relevant tax apron. For the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics, this very much rings true — with the former having to let Kevon Looney go to the New Orleans Pelicans and the latter having to resort to a low-cost flier in Luka Garza. Advertisement Both the Warriors and Celtics have plenty of question marks in the frontcourt, although they are looking to rectify those issues by setting their sights on the same player. According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the 2022 NBA Finalists are among the many contending teams that are looking to get veteran big man Al Horford to sign on the dotted line. Included in the hunt for Horford are the New York Knicks, Denver Nuggets, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Lakers, as per Scotto. It's not quite clear just how strong those teams' interest level is in signing the 39-year-old big man from the Dominican Republic, but one thing's for sure, both the Warriors and Celtics will be facing stiff competition for Horford's services. It's not quite clear what kind of contract Horford is commanding in free agency, although it's safe to say that he should not break the bank too much and should not cost more than the $9.5 million he made this past season. This makes him a low-cost option for any team looking to reinforce their frontcourt with the defense and shooting that Horford provides. Alas, with Horford having recently turned 39 years of age, there is real risk in him declining as soon as next season hits. Advertisement Will Al Horford sign with the Warriors? Petre Thomas-Imagn Images The Warriors may be the most desperate team for Horford after they lost Looney in free agency; ClutchPoints NBA insider Brett Siegel reported that the Dubs are 'locked in on getting to an agreement' with Horford after the events of free agency's first day. Alas, the Lakers may be as desperate, seeing as they haven't quite remedied their center issues yet (although they seem to be saving their money for Deandre Ayton). The Nuggets would also want a reliable backup for Nikola Jokic, and Horford fits the bill. Meanwhile, the center position isn't as pressing of a need for either the Knicks and Cavs. Advertisement The smart money is banking on Horford to return to the Celtics even if it's unlikely for Boston to contend for a championship this upcoming season amid the injury to Jayson Tatum. Horford's been at his best this past decade whenever he's in Beantown, and suffice to say, this place has become home for him. And now that he has won a championship anyway, it's not like he'll be desperate to chase another ring. Related: All Active Locker Codes For NBA 2K25 MyTEAM and MyCAREER Related: NBA rumors: Brutal Deandre Ayton Blazers revelations should give Lakers pause