Why Kevin Durant Left The Warriors, According To ...

Skip to main contentCome Fan with UsWednesday, December 10, 2025SBNation.com homepageSB NationSB Nation logoNotificationsNotifications

• The Feed
• Breakaway
• Betting
  • FanDuel Sportsbook Odds
  • FanDuel Daily Fantasy Sports
  • Betting Picks and Predictions
• NFL
  • Today's NFL Trivia
  • All NFL
  • Fantasy Football
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Denver Broncos
  • Detroit Lions
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • New England Patriots
  • New Orleans Saints
  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Tennessee Titans
  • Washington Commanders
• NBA
  • All NBA
  • WNBA
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards
• MLB
  • Today's MLB Trivia
  • All MLB
  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Atlanta Braves
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Boston Red Sox
  • Chicago Cubs
  • Chicago White Sox
  • Cincinnati Reds
  • Cleveland Guardians
  • Colorado Rockies
  • Detroit Tigers
  • Houston Astros
  • Kansas City Royals
  • Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Milwaukee Brewers
  • Minnesota Twins
  • New York Mets
  • New York Yankees
  • Oakland Athletics
  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Pittsburgh Pirates
  • San Diego Padres
  • San Francisco Giants
  • Seattle Mariners
  • St. Louis Cardinals
  • Tampa Bay Rays
  • Texas Rangers
  • Toronto Blue Jays
  • Washington Nationals
• CFB
  • All CFB
  • View team list
• CBB
  • Men’s CBB
  • Men’s Bracketology
  • Women’s CBB
  • View team list
• WNBA
  • All WNBA
  • Swish Appeal
  • Los Angeles Sparks
  • Minnesota Lynx
  • New York Liberty
  • Washington Mystics
• Soccer
  • Football Frenzy
  • All Soccer
  • English Premier League
  • Arsenal
  • Chelsea
  • Everton
  • Liverpool
  • Manchester City
  • Newcastle United
  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • Manchester United
  • German Bundesliga
  • Bayern Munich
  • Dortmund
  • Italian Serie A
  • AC Milan
  • Inter Milan
  • Juventus
  • AS Roma
  • Fiorentina
  • MLS
  • Spanish La Liga
  • Barcelona
  • Real Madrid
  • Atletico Madrid
  • Villarreal
  • Women’s Soccer
  • NWSL
  • Mexican Soccer
  • U.S. Soccer
  • Fantasy Soccer
  • View team list
• More

Navigation Drawer

• Login / Sign Up

closeCloseSearch

• VideoWatch
• PodcastListen
• In Five GamesPlay

• The Feed
• Breakaway
• BettingExpand
  • FanDuel Sportsbook Odds
  • FanDuel Daily Fantasy Sports
  • Betting Picks and Predictions
• NFLExpand
  • Today's NFL Trivia
  • All NFL
  • Fantasy Football
  • Arizona Cardinals
  • Atlanta Falcons
  • Baltimore Ravens
  • Buffalo Bills
  • Carolina Panthers
  • Chicago Bears
  • Cincinnati Bengals
  • Cleveland Browns
  • Dallas Cowboys
  • Denver Broncos
  • Detroit Lions
  • Green Bay Packers
  • Houston Texans
  • Indianapolis Colts
  • Jacksonville Jaguars
  • Kansas City Chiefs
  • Las Vegas Raiders
  • Los Angeles Rams
  • Miami Dolphins
  • Minnesota Vikings
  • New England Patriots
  • New Orleans Saints
  • New York Giants
  • New York Jets
  • Philadelphia Eagles
  • Pittsburgh Steelers
  • Los Angeles Chargers
  • San Francisco 49ers
  • Seattle Seahawks
  • Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • Tennessee Titans
  • Washington Commanders
• NBAExpand
  • All NBA
  • WNBA
  • Atlanta Hawks
  • Boston Celtics
  • Brooklyn Nets
  • Cleveland Cavaliers
  • Dallas Mavericks
  • Detroit Pistons
  • Golden State Warriors
  • Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Lakers
  • Milwaukee Bucks
  • Minnesota Timberwolves
  • New York Knicks
  • Philadelphia 76ers
  • Phoenix Suns
  • Portland Trail Blazers
  • San Antonio Spurs
  • Toronto Raptors
  • Utah Jazz
  • Washington Wizards
• MLBExpand
  • Today's MLB Trivia
  • All MLB
  • Arizona Diamondbacks
  • Atlanta Braves
  • Baltimore Orioles
  • Boston Red Sox
  • Chicago Cubs
  • Chicago White Sox
  • Cincinnati Reds
  • Cleveland Guardians
  • Colorado Rockies
  • Detroit Tigers
  • Houston Astros
  • Kansas City Royals
  • Los Angeles Dodgers
  • Milwaukee Brewers
  • Minnesota Twins
  • New York Mets
  • New York Yankees
  • Oakland Athletics
  • Philadelphia Phillies
  • Pittsburgh Pirates
  • San Diego Padres
  • San Francisco Giants
  • Seattle Mariners
  • St. Louis Cardinals
  • Tampa Bay Rays
  • Texas Rangers
  • Toronto Blue Jays
  • Washington Nationals
• CFBExpand
  • All CFB
  • View team list
• CBBExpand
  • Men’s CBB
  • Men’s Bracketology
  • Women’s CBB
  • View team list
• WNBAExpand
  • All WNBA
  • Swish Appeal
  • Los Angeles Sparks
  • Minnesota Lynx
  • New York Liberty
  • Washington Mystics
• SoccerExpand
  • Football Frenzy
  • All Soccer
  • English Premier League
  • Arsenal
  • Chelsea
  • Everton
  • Liverpool
  • Manchester City
  • Newcastle United
  • Tottenham Hotspur
  • Manchester United
  • German Bundesliga
  • Bayern Munich
  • Dortmund
  • Italian Serie A
  • AC Milan
  • Inter Milan
  • Juventus
  • AS Roma
  • Fiorentina
  • MLS
  • Spanish La Liga
  • Barcelona
  • Real Madrid
  • Atletico Madrid
  • Villarreal
  • Women’s Soccer
  • NWSL
  • Mexican Soccer
  • U.S. Soccer
  • Fantasy Soccer
  • View team list
• UFCExpand
  • MMA Fighting
  • MMA Fight Schedule
  • MMA Mania
• NHLExpand
  • All NHL
  • Boston Bruins
  • Carolina Hurricanes
  • Colorado Avalanche
  • New Jersey Devils
  • New York Islanders
  • Pittsburgh Penguins
• Golf
• F1
• Wrestling
• Boxing
• Secret Base Video
• Podcasts
• Newsletters
• Features
• Communities
• Product Updates & Ideas

• Facebook
• Twitter
• Threads
• Instagram
• Youtube
• RSS
• TikTok

SB NationSB Nation logoWhy Kevin Durant left the Warriors, according to Kevin DurantNotificationsNotifications

• NBA

Why Kevin Durant left the Warriors, according to Kevin Durant

The more Kevin Durant talks, the more we understand why he left the Warriors.

by Ricky O'DonnellOct 31, 2019, 7:40 PM UTC

• Facebook
• Link

Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.

Kevin Durant had it made in Golden State. The Warriors won the NBA championship in his first season with the team, and then repeated the next year. Both times, Durant was named Finals MVP, affirming his place among the sport’s all-time greats.

But after suffering a torn Achilles in the playoffs during his third season with the team, KD decided to leave as a free agent. His interest in New York was one of the worst kept secrets in sports. He ultimately signed a four-year, $164 million contract with the Brooklyn Nets, with a player option on the final season.

Durant will miss the entirety of the 2019-20 season as he rehabs his injury, but his exit still stings for Golden State. The Warriors started the new season off in disarray, as the loss of Klay Thompson to injury and an alarming lack of depth have only underscored the team’s issues without KD.

Durant has offered a variety of answers when asked why he left the Warriors. This is why KD left the bay, in his own words.

Durant at Nets media day: “I felt like it was time for a change”

Durant offered his first in-person explanation for why he decided to leave the Warriors at Nets media day in September. In addition to stating that he wanted to play with Kyrie Irving and was intrigued by the Nets’ young core, Durant also went into detail about why he left Golden State:

“I felt like it was time for a change. I wanted to play for a new team. Simply put, I just did it. I didn’t really think about what I was leaving behind or what we accomplished. I put that up on the shelf already. When it was time to make a decision on my future, I just thought solely about me.”

Durant said he made the decision to join the Nets during a text conversation with Irving and De’Andre Jordan at 4:15 a.m. “We were like, ‘are we ready to do it?’ Everybody was like ‘yeah.’”

Durant in the WSJ: “As time went on, I started to realize I’m just different from the rest of the guys.”

Durant opened up in an exclusive interview with the Wall Street Journal in September on a variety of topics, including his exit from Golden State.

Here is Durant’s answer when asked to explain why he left the Warriors:

“I came in there wanting to be part of a group, wanting to be part of a family, and definitely felt accepted,” Durant told the Wall Street Journal’s J.R. Moehringer. “But I’ll never be one of those guys. I didn’t get drafted there ... Steph Curry, obviously drafted there. Andre Iguodala, won the first Finals, first championship. Klay Thompson, drafted there. Draymond Green, drafted there. And the rest of the guys kind of rehabilitated their careers there. So me? Shit, how you going to rehabilitate me? What you going to teach me? How can you alter anything in my basketball life? I got an MVP already. I got scoring titles.”

“As time went on, I started to realize I’m just different from the rest of the guys. It’s not a bad thing. Just my circumstances and how I came up in the league. And on top of that, the media always looked at it like KD and the Warriors. So it’s like nobody could [give] a full acceptance of me there.”

Durant also cited basketball reasons for his decision to leave the Warriors:

“‘The motion offense we run in Golden State, it only works to a certain point,’ he says. ‘We can totally rely on only our system for maybe the first two rounds. Then the next two rounds we’re going to have to mix in individual play. We’ve got to throw teams off, because they’re smarter in that round of playoffs. So now I had to dive into my bag, deep, to create stuff on my own, off the dribble, isos, pick-and-rolls, more so than let the offense create my points for me.’ He wanted to go to someplace where he’d be free to hone that sort of improvisational game throughout the regular season.”

KD admitted on-court fight with Draymond Green also played a role

The first public fissure in the Durant’s relationship with the Warriors played out during a game against the Clippers in November 2018. The Warriors had staked a major comeback to tie the Clippers at the end of regulation. Durant fired a quick three that missed as time ticked away in an attempt to go for a two-for-one. After the Clippers missed on the other end, Green corralled the rebound and raced up the court and Durant clapped for the ball. Green would stumble and regulation ended without a shot attempt.

As the team headed to the bench, Durant and Green were caught yelling at each other on the bench. Green reportedly called “b——” and challenged Durant on his impending free agency.

At the time, SB Nation asked “Is the Kevin Durant-Draymond Green shouting match a big deal?”

Durant finally answered this question on ESPN when pressed by Stephen A. Smith.

“A little bit, yeah, for sure,” Durant said. “If your teammate talked to you that way, you think about it a bit. Like I said, we talked about it, but definitely, for sure, I’m not going to lie about it.”

Durant continued:

“I just felt like I needed a switch. I felt like a lot of stuff in Golden State had reared its head. I felt like that was going to be the end no matter what, especially for that group. Shaun Livingston was retiring, Andre was getting older, our contracts were going to start putting the team in the hole to get other players. It was time for us to separate.”

Durant doesn’t blame the Warriors for his injury

Durant suffered a “strained calf” in the Warriors’ second round playoff matchup against the Rockets. Golden State would advance to the NBA Finals without their star, where they were trailing the Raptors, 3-1, heading into Game 5 when it was announced Durant would try to play.

Durant 11 points in 12 minutes before falling to the ground in pain on a sudden move. He would rupture his Achilles. The Raptors clinched their NBA championship the following game.

Golden State received criticism following the game for letting Durant play through the injury, with some suggesting they pressured him to do so. In an interview with Yahoo! Sports, Durant absolved the Warriors of blame.

“Hell, no. How can you blame [the Warriors]? Hell, no,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “I heard the Warriors pressured me into getting back. Nobody never said a word to me during rehab as I was coming back. It was only me and [director of sports medicine and performance] Rick [Celebrini] working out every day. Right when the series started, I targeted Game 5. Hell, nah. It just happened. It’s basketball. S--- happens. Nobody was responsible for it. It was just the game. We just need to move on from that s--- because I’m going to be back playing.”

See More:

• Instagram
• NBA

SB Nation Daily Roundup

A daily roundup of all your sports news

Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.Advertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

More in NBA

Dec 9Anthony Davis trade interests these 3 NBA teams, per reportDec 9NBA Cup’s 8 teams still standing, ranked by championship chancesDec 5NBA power rankings: Updated championship chances for all 30 teamsDec 37 Giannis Antetokounmpo trade ideas after Bucks star asks outDec 3Chris Paul’s release by Clippers, explained after clash with organizationDec 2Jalen Johnson’s second leap shows the Hawks aren’t just Trae Young’s team anymoreNBADec 9NBADec 9Anthony Davis trade interests these 3 NBA teams, per report

These teams are reportedly interested in trading for Anthony Davis.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 9NBADec 9NBA Cup’s 8 teams still standing, ranked by championship chances

Let’s rank the final 8 teams still standing in the NBA Cup.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 5NBADec 5NBA power rankings: Updated championship chances for all 30 teams

Let’s rank every team in the NBA by their championship chances.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 3NBADec 37 Giannis Antetokounmpo trade ideas after Bucks star asks out

Here are 7 potential offers for Giannis after he asked out of Milwaukee.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 3NBADec 3Chris Paul’s release by Clippers, explained after clash with organization

Chris Paul has been released by the Clippers, marking a strange ending to a legendary NBA career.

By Ricky O'DonnellNBADec 2NBADec 2Jalen Johnson’s second leap shows the Hawks aren’t just Trae Young’s team anymore

Jalen Johnson’s star leap for Hawks is full of lessons for NBA teams

By Ricky O'DonnellAdvertiser Content From

This is the title for the native ad

The Latest

41 minutes agoTop 90 fantasy football standard RBs for Week 1542 minutes agoTop 50 fantasy football standard TEs for Week 1543 minutes agoTop 110 fantasy football standard WRs for Week 1544 minutes agoTop 110 fantasy football PPR WRs for Week 1545 minutes agoTop 35 fantasy football QBs for Week 1546 minutes agoTop 90 fantasy football PPR RBs for Week 15