Kevin Durant's Highly-Anticipated Return to Golden State Warriors Chase Center

Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

On Tuesday night, a significant event unfolds as Kevin Durant finally comes back to the Chase Center,

[{"selector":"#anim-524c2eed-e002-4a62-928f-a695eaad86e4 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-9.4779819088531%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-12108fb9-2a11-45a9-97cc-c1721d786dd7","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.15181%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cb468f83-7369-45a0-8128-1eb368929447","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-19858175-db1a-4e0b-8fb3-d7e8ab9611be","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a600e94b-305a-41c3-8279-47427c68b6a6","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(147.14287%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-951148be-217c-4eb2-95e3-304005dddb73","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-125bb9e0-2cb3-4f4d-81e8-694545037d9c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] Kevin Durant's Hearst Newspapers via Getty Images

Kevin Durant's

[{"selector":"#anim-5d37fe17-3442-4b94-8ecc-84cb92585ab4","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(116.88312%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a4252dd1-8b7b-4bc8-a3aa-a675a00983e5","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-308c21e0-5c0b-4f78-b8c5-7dbba2c7417c","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-ff972f25-26c8-40ab-a56f-feda242af8e2","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-197.14287%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-18d5418e-558a-4799-bf27-418a55d84a50","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-0d12ff0f-ad87-4eb4-bb07-c651af90fdfc","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-34fbcf21-0ab1-475f-907f-685168508bdd","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(1)","scale(1.5)","scale(0.95)","scale(1)"],"offset":[0,0.33,0.66,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1450,"easing":"ease-in-out","fill":"both","iterations":1}] [{"selector":"#anim-f67139ca-b8b1-487a-8064-44cffea18fe2 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}] October 24 2023

For Warriors fans, this is a time to give Durant a hero's welcome. Durant, who spent three seasons with Golden State,

[{"selector":"#anim-91cd847d-8a78-49d8-867e-104f37b7df6c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-118.66666%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-92115894-842f-4297-a5c1-959762d5cb29","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-85c3a2fd-8a74-4d40-96b4-aee322219d6b","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b64e96e1-57f0-4345-89e7-4296aed4fe69 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate(0%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

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,

[{"selector":"#anim-4a8af983-dfc9-4bc7-a198-7da8faee9134","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-120.13652%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-76069c7c-9772-46d8-b825-5f0e2e515b65","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-21e7e399-d91e-415e-9f21-9eefe71eb2c3","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-213ccca9-2226-4542-ab3a-aedb537383cd [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(25%, 0%) scale(1.5)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0) translate(0%, 0%) scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"fill":"forwards"}]

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?

[{"selector":"#anim-e1b98157-95da-4a93-ada7-3c5c4984701f","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-119.59459%, 0px, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-e9d0db93-4109-4ea5-a2bc-c3723d94f71b","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-2a63c1b9-c915-428e-b717-c22bfd0c63b3","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.15)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.4, 0.4, 0.0, 1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d8be25f5-2fc5-4d71-b725-6d98b96c715c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(34.179687404002955%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

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.

[{"selector":"#anim-108998f8-d131-455b-b4df-90e4cfb883a6 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(-12.499999772451451%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-7c7a1325-0bb9-43ef-b726-20c293c3a1b2","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d5cac11e-c9fe-42dd-a9c8-65a9214aec75","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, -176.81802%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]