Best Kevin Durant
On Tuesday night, a significant event unfolds as Kevin Durant finally comes back to the Chase Center, which serves as the headquarters of the Golden State Warriors. This event is part of the NBA’s 2023-24 opening night extravaganza.
For Warriors fans, this is a time to give Durant a hero’s welcome
Durant, who spent three seasons with Golden State, contributed significantly to their success, earning two Finals MVP awards as the team clinched back-to-back NBA championships. During his tenure, he averaged an impressive 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game, earning All-NBA honors each season he was part of the team.
The question now arises: should the Warriors retire Durant’s jersey? Warriors’ co-executive chairman and CEO Joe Lacob believes so. When asked about this, Durant also expressed his agreement during an interview with Marc Spears of ESPN’s Landscape.
Regarding the possibility of his jersey being retired, Durant stated
He should. Look at the résumé. Doesn’t it justify a jersey retirement for me? Would I like to be recognized by a team I dedicated my efforts to? Of course, I would love that. I had some great moments there. I built some solid relationships there. Yeah, man. Hell yeah, that would be sweet. I love that organization, man. I love my time there, seriously. As for my departure, there should be no doubt since I did, indeed,
Lacob has already indicated that no one would wear
Durant’s No. 35 on the Warriors while he was in charge, suggesting a potential jersey retirement in the future. While it may happen, it’s likely to occur after the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green see their numbers hung in the rafters.
Durant holds nothing but positive memories of his time in Golden State. He views it as an instrumental chapter in his life that prepared him for his current journey with the Suns. The return to the Chase Center is a special moment for him. Although Durant has been to the arena before, the Nets’ 2021 visit coincided with COVID restrictions, preventing fans from attending.
