The Kevin Durant era was one of sheer supremacy for the Golden State Warriors, but it also included a lot of turmoil. In an appearance on the “Gil’s Arena” podcast, former NBA veteran Nick Young opened up about some of the Warriors’ internal chaos and stated that Stephen Curry nearly cried before losing the Finals MVP to Kevin Durant in 2018.
“I remember KD and Steph were neck-and-neck. “And then Steph had one bad game, and Durant was hitting,” Young explained. “Steph’s head was down and he was on the verge of tears in the locker room after the victory. He wants to beat that b*tch. Durant was attempting to deliver it to him because he had won the year before, but Steph was unable to make a shot. It was the lowest he has scored in the Finals.”
Kevin Durant, a 14-time All-Star, joined the Warriors in 2016, after leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder. His arrival heralded the beginning of the franchise’s strong run, and his time with 36-year-old Stephen Curry remains one of the league’s best two-man games.
The 2018 NBA Finals were not known to be particularly competitive. The Warriors were in their second season together, and they faced a fatally outmatched Cavaliers club led by LeBron James. The Warriors won the series 4-0, with an average score margin of 15 points across the four games. Durant garnered seven MVP votes, whereas Steph received only four.
Curry and Durant were initially tied for Finals MVP after the first two games, but that changed in the final two games. The 6’2″ point guard only scored 11 points in Game 3 and had a difficult outing, allowing the Cavaliers to make things interesting down the stretch. If Kevin Durant hadn’t scored 43 points, the Warriors might have lost that key game in Cleveland.
Curry eventually responded with 37 points in Game 4, but it was insufficient to earn him Final MVP honors. He wouldn’t take home the trophy for himself until 2022, after winning his fourth championship.
While Steph and Durant never showed anger toward each other, their collaboration lasted only three years, and it’s easy to see why. The Warriors were and will always be Stephen Curry’s team, and Durant’s entrance sparked a power struggle that made things difficult for everyone.
Durant left a year later after losing in the Finals, but his time with Curry will be remembered in NBA history books. They dominated on a scale never seen before, and it was genuinely uncharted terrain for two apex superstars at the pinnacle of their abilities.
We may never see that kind of dominance again, but Curry’s current status as the lone alpha dog is probably for the best. As a living basketball great, he can now play with complete freedom and not worry about vying for accolades against members of his own squad.
There has been some speculation that Durant may return to the Warriors one day, but such a move would require Steph’s agreement, and it is unclear whether he would agree to do so again.
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