For many NBA fans, the Fourth of July is about fireworks, barbecues, and—apparently—reliving a decade-old grudge. Ten years ago this week, Kevin Durant made a decision that still sparks heated debates across the league: he left the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors.
That move, announced on July 4, 2016, felt like a seismic shift in the NBA landscape. The Warriors had just come off a record-shattering 73-9 season, and adding Durant—a former MVP and four-time scoring champion—seemed almost unfair. The backlash was immediate and intense, and it hasn't completely faded even after all these years.
“10 years ago today Kevin Durant ruined my 4th of July,” one fan wrote on social media. Another added, “I’ll never forget, he ruined everybody day with this decision.” A third fan went even further, calling it “the most disgusting event in the NBA world” and arguing that “there’s not a betrayal like it in sports in general.”
Durant’s decision was rooted in personal growth, as he explained at the time. In a post on The Players’ Tribune, he wrote, “The primary mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the potential for my growth as a player… But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth.”
His tenure with the Warriors was undeniably successful. Over three seasons, Durant helped Golden State win two NBA championships, earning Finals MVP honors both times. He averaged 25.8 points per game with the team and reached a third Finals before suffering a torn Achilles. But for many, those titles came with an asterisk—a feeling that he took the easy path to glory.
Durant recently addressed the criticism on the “Million Dollaz Worth of Game” podcast, defending his decision by reframing the Warriors’ identity. “The organization had never been a winning organization. When I was in the league, nobody liked Golden State. It still feels like an underdog to me because I’m looking at the totality of the franchise. I’m not looking at what happened in these last five years. You’ve never been a perennial winner in the NBA from the 1950s on up,” Durant said, via NBC Sports Bay Area. “So I’m like, ‘It’s an underdog franchise to me.’ This feels good, like [expletive], this feels like where I’m supposed to be. It ain’t [Los Angeles]. It ain’t New York. It felt like where I’m supposed to be.”
While some fans may never forgive Durant, the basketball world has moved on. The Warriors dynasty eventually faded, and Durant now plays for the Phoenix Suns. Still, the debate over his legacy continues. Some argue that if he had stayed in Oklahoma City and won a title there, it would have meant more. Others point to his two rings and two Finals MVPs as validation.
Interestingly, recent rumors have linked the Detroit Pistons as a potential trade suitor for Durant, showing that even at 35, he remains a coveted asset. Meanwhile, the Warriors have been linked to other stars, including LeBron James, as they try to reload for another title run. But no matter what happens next, July 4, 2016, will always be a date that divides NBA fans—a reminder of a decision that reshaped the league and still stirs emotions a decade later.
