LeBron James’ decison to go from Cleveland to Miami, then back to Cleveland again, “paved the way” for Kevin Durant to hop over to the Golden State Warriors last summer.
LeBron heading to South Beach to form a super-team made KD’s free agent decision more palatable.
LeBron & KD shattered the old paradigm, chose their own fate. And the era of All-Star autonomy is just beginning.https://t.co/tBekYuvfZI
— Howard Beck (@HowardBeck) June 6, 2017
Durant also had the added benefit of never truly becoming an NBA villain the way James was in his first season with the Heat.
Per Bleacher Report:
Though Durant says he did not consider James’ precedent, he readily admits, “He paved the way.”
“As time goes on, and the changes start to become normal, people will start looking at it as normal,” Durant says. “I hope and pray that they make a decision that’s best for them, and nobody else.”
For decades, the NBA’s top free agents largely stayed home—a result of financial inducements and traditional notions of loyalty. All of that has eroded.
“That’s what free agency is about—doing what you want to do,” Durant says. “I commend LeBron. I commend LaMarcus Aldridge. I commend guys that stay, because they did what they wanted to do. That’s the power of free agency.”
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