If the Best Player of Each Decade Pulled A Kevin Durant

[@jonnyarnett]

What's a hypothetical move that would be similar to KD joining Golden State? NOTE: I didn't include the 60s, simply because I don't think there a truly similar situation. Someone could say Wilt would join the Celtics, but that doesn't work, since the Celtics never lost after eliminating Wilt.

[@DustyThePlotagonist]

LeBron joining the Celtics in “The Decision”.

[@Goatlikeitornot]

LeChoke to Spurs

[@universalplayz7496]

Well you could argue they did lose to wilt after elimating wilt As in after beating wilt in 1966 they lost to him in the following year so if they took him in 1968 it’s similar enough and wilt in 1960s was basically in that kd type environment like in 2016 they clearly could’ve went on to win a ring if things went slightly different Same with the 60s lakers or some of wilts teams. Ngl wilt joining the Lakers in the 1960s would’ve been sick

[@markjackson6431]

@@jonnyarnett Wilt did something worse, forced his way to LA to overcompensate

[@terterman8585]

To be honest, I think that Lebron teaming up with DWade and Chris Bosh in Miami was equally as slimy and the precedent to what KD did

[@tommythomasson1]

Imagine Charles Barkley joining the Chicago Bulls after the 1993 finals. Or Wilt Chamberlain joining the Boston Celtics to form a real twin tower duo with Bill Russel.

[@Mektek19]

It was the 93 finals.

[@tommythomasson1]

@@Mektek19true. I corrected my comment.

[@DuranmanX]

Crazy thing is I dont think the Celtics would have won more with Wilt, cause they already won 2 after 1967, and Russell would still probably retire in 1969

[@Hustlinhusky22]

Shaq could have pulled a KD in the 90s as well. I remember hearing him say, if he knew how it would be in this day and age, he would have joined the Bulls

[@jonnyarnett]

Yeah, I remember him saying that. Personally I wouldn't count that as a "KD" though, because Durant just joined a team that barely failed to win a championship. If Shaq joined Chicago, that would be a team that just won, so in that sense, Shaq's move would be even worse. The Lakers were eliminated by the Jazz in the 98 Playoffs, so if Shaq joined Stockton and Malone in Utah after they just failed in the Finals, I think THAT would be the KD move for Shaq. 99 Jazz would have been so unfair. lol.

[@kakarrotcake6991]

@@jonnyarnettJohn Stockton would have averaged 25 assists a game 😂

[@nicolopez7591]

How about early 2000s, Shaq going to the Spurs after getting eliminated by them. I remember hearing him say he wanted to play in Texas, where his stepfather finished his Army career and retired.

[@ktapreswreckd921v9]

​@@nicolopez7591 Couldn't be done first of all. David Robinson was still a good center until 2003. And of course the Spurs had Timmy...where would Shaquille play?

[@Bigedub101]

​@kakarrotcake6991 😂😂😂😂Exactly that would be insane to have a Malone, O'Neal and Stockton

[@christmasload1236]

Really puts into perspective how weak this move was

[@apex_blade]

but tbh lebron joining the heat was even more unfair than him joining that celtics team(ik this is unrelated to the comment but I'm just saying).

[@christmasload1236]

@@apex_blade I don’t know how you can actually genuinely believe this

[@woo_shynen8805]

@@apex_bladeehhh not really, the warriors had just went 73-9 and adding a goat scorer

[@Placid_Falcon]

Bro, not sure I get your point. GSW won 2 champs with him, and then had a 4-year drought after he left. Gotta be appreciative.

[@christianr1941]

​@@apex_bladenan bro the warriors move was way worse

[@ImTitan16]

This is one of the most creative basketball vids ive never seen

[@gold-man9]

MJ on the magic would have been dope

[@detectivemarkseven]

MJ on the Pistons would have been more interesting 😂

[@gold-man9]

@@detectivemarkseven for the wrong reasons 💀

[@isojoe125]

When I was little I thought mj played for the magic cause that was our hometeam

[@snowreganit6739]

Atleast 3 in a row with no sweat mj on magic,because kobe shaq won 3 but mj is in his prime so 3 in a row without sweat 15+points atleast every win in every game

[@Robertedwinhouse38]

@@detectivemarkseven I mean we already saw MJ with Rodman. Don’t see how it’d be that interesting

[@Jim_Boylen]

I think a better 2020s would be again Nikola Jokic, but he joins the Suns after the 2021 season. He did not win it then and the suns actually made the finals, also blowing a 2-0 lead.

[@Jim_Boylen]

Thanks for the heart man, great video ❤

[@akaFito]

Damn KAT has even been traded in this video today

[@MegaMjjordan]

I don’t know what crack is like Jonny but the way you’re cranking solid videos like this out is too good. Keep em coming!!

[@Kiernanglynn20]

Shaq joining the 72-10 bulls

[@NewLightning1]

That would easily negate their biggest weakness; the big man position

[@TeacherLegendary]

They will go 74-8 minimum. The only thing Bulls don't have is a big man. That's Jordans biggest accomplishment. He dominated in an era where big men are important

[@Hfidon]

Potentially 82-0 if it all goes well. The team would have no weaknesses

[@TeacherLegendary]

@@Hfidon 8 from playing team B lol

[@rankarat]

74-8 lol it will be 83-0 (yea out of 82 games)​@@TeacherLegendary

[@reeceaguilar8374]

I know its FIBA, but Joel Embiid joining the USA instead of France had all sorts of KD vibes lol

[@DuranmanX]

Embiid is from Cameroon

[@reeceaguilar8374]

​@@DuranmanXthat's right

[@Reallybadtryhard]

He also technically is French since he holds a French citizenship, so technically the comment wasn’t wrong. It’s like Kyrie playing for USA even tho he was born in Australia and still has an Australian citizenship

[@emmanuelnlend9418]

You must be crazy why would he play for France because of that fake ass nationality he took ?when bro spent most of his life in Cameroon and USA ?

[@reeceaguilar8374]

@@Reallybadtryhard yea that's fair. I totally get the frustration from Cameroonian fans. But I feel especially bad for France since they gave him citizenship with the expectation he would play for them. LOL basketball can hit hard.

[@richardpalmer956]

Easily one of my favorite videos of you Jonny. I love the time you took to break it down. The comparison of lebron and Boston to KD and GSW was spot on

[@alex4833]

Awesome video, Jonny! Those are some amazing and scary "What Ifs" lol. They're all good, but the one that blew my mind most was Jordan on the Magic (MJ, Penny, and Shaq would be so tough to stop). Great scenarios. Also, I like how the editing of the "Summer of (year)" corresponded with each decade's style lol. That was great! Cool video again, Jonny! Have a nice weekend!

[@patrickhanlon2325]

I've been a KD defender forever, but this video might've changed my opinion haha. I still think he's had an incredibly unlucky career, but that doesn't excuse the Warriors' move

[@Yinon776]

So sadly true. In OKC both he and Westbrook suffered from injuries, while in Brooklyn both Harden and Kyrie got injured at the worst time, then KD's toe touched the line, and the following year Kyrie refused to get vaccinated, causing the team to fall apart. KD would have a couple of REAL chips if he wasn't so unlucky, but at the same time it doesn't excuse the weakness of him joining the Warriors. He should've joined the Celtics in 2016, with them he'd win real chips and possibly have a dynasty.

[@xiamfinal571]

8:00 Rudy Gobert as Power Forward? Ah hell nahh! 😂

[@jonnyarnett]

Lol, I know its whack. My editor had KAT in that spot, and obviously he's not on the team anymore, so I just overlayed a picture of Gobert, even though the positions are a mess. lol. If anything I think Jokic would be the 4 tbh.

[@dellmaxson2184]

Exactly what I thought, no way Rudy is starting over KAT or Jokic lol

[@SnaggleTooF-j1m]

Been keeping it real since day one Johnny keep striving and keep making amazing content, personally I love seeing you collab with the livestreams where we can all tune in and be in the chat as a collective aswell and feed in at the same time you guys are doing you it’s always nice to get the different perspectives on the players and their legacies on the game, for me no one makes their content more enjoyable to just sit down and tune in to their takes then you,big props to Derrick white aswell🙏🏻.

[@michael-paulware7330]

What if Jordan went to the pistons

[@jonnyarnett]

That could work. If he went in 1988 after the Pistons just lost to the Lakers in the Finals. That would be VERY similar.

[@younglove3362]

They wouldn't have had to change the rules to benefit Jordan.

[@2playschemeo.p.croutes724]

@@younglove3362 😂 a new set of Jordan rules. Clear out of his way

[@younglove3362]

@2playschemeo.p.croutes724 Yep, Jordan couldn't handle the Jordan rules so the league had to pitch in and change it to make the game easier and for the agenda of the Jordan promotion be pushed. There's a reason why they were called the Bad Boy Pistons. They ruined the agenda delaying it. Winning while at it.

[@2playschemeo.p.croutes724]

@@younglove3362 the Jordan rules didn’t necessarily stop Jordan. He still got his numbers despite. But none of his teammates made the Pistons pay the price for shading towards Jordan. Game 7 of the 1990 ECF showed how awful MJ’s team was . Including Scottie Other than Jordan no one managed over 35% shooting

[@Youngberries]

Jonny please never change 😭😭🙏

[@forkyy257]

the things it had to take to make this work is crazy - the warriors only thing they could've upgraded would've been their sf/pf shooter that let curry get more loose, the league having a salary cap increase the same exact year. its wild how this even happened

[@Justinjam645]

i think this part gets glossed over far too much, the hypotheticals are cool but how many of these situations could’ve actually been made possible ?! The warriors had so many things favorably make this move happen

[@GiriRam]

Next video suggestion should be: If the best player of each decade pulled a Lebron James

[@who426]

agreed

[@sethrobinson9291]

Went and teamed up with 2 all stars in a bad team?

[@jonnyarnett]

@sethrobinson9291 I think I would frame it as if the Top 3 Players in a conference joined the same team. LeBron, Wade and Bosh were the top 3 MVP vote getters out of the East in 2010. For example, Larry Bird, Dr. J and Sidney Moncrief all on the Bucks in 1983.

[@sethrobinson9291]

@@jonnyarnett that’s actually a really good concept. I’m down for it 😂

[@sethrobinson9291]

@@jonnyarnett for the team that they all go to, would it be like an 8th seed in the conference? Hypothetically you could put the 3 all stars on a top 4 seed, but I’m not sure that would be too realistic

[@skillz0122]

The best comparison I can think of is if Shaq went to the Bulls in 96 instead of the Lakers. Bulls had some cap room at the time abd were weak at center. A top 5 player sawpping to the better team that beat him the year before is the softest thing an athlete can do.

[@hampus7474]

Love that even basketball historians calls joining a superteam like this: “pulling a Kevin Durant”

[@michaelthreepeat]

I could also have meant pouting for a full year and being constantly passive aggressive to guarantee awful chemistry and a 1 round exit.

[@inazuma3gou]

Had Kobe went Phoenix in 2007, I am sure Hill and Nash would have found ways to get injured.

[@nathanlewis4765]

Johnny, this just makes K.D. & Lebron look even weaker. Salute!

[@benbutler9282]

finntasic stuff - great idea - really well put together

[@lanceliverpool1574]

I mean I'm pretty sure Wilt going to Boston would drastically change players mindset and culture forever. Butterfly effect would be crazy

[@andreszarate6963]

nice video bro this concept is great🔥

[@celtics17banners84]

If you have Rondo, Allen and LeBron on a roster together, they’re already winning a ring… but then toss in Pierce and Garnett?! 75-7 record lmfao

[@nvm9040]

Kd said his perspective on his Golden State move which definitely sounds valid from his eyes I’m glad the seventies get some recognition because it was balanced with good to great players on good teams throughout the league

[@ejkboxing]

MJ joining the Pistons in 1989, 90. Ewing joing the Rockets. Dr.J joining the Lakers in 1980 or 81.

[@hannibalwilmetcalf8363]

That Phoenix squad with Kobe would have been the number 1 rated offense AND defense in basketball that year. Having Kobe, Marion, and Grant Hill... Good lord, ain't nobody scoring

[@younglove3362]

Looks good on paper but wouldn't have worked out. Kobe is an iso player. Amare, Marion, and the other players fit better together with Nash.

[@SilentMovements305]

​@@younglove3362no he's not y u think he was part of the last 3 peat if Shaq didn't have Kobe he wouldn't have won wit that Lakers team. Do some research before replying. Kobe was the main facilitor of the team.

[@ivblizzard3616]

@@younglove3362 They would balance between run n gun and Kobe's iso plays .. Kobe would play Pick n roll with Amare too

[@younglove3362]

@SilentMovements305 the same way he was a disappointment in 04 and 2011?

[@younglove3362]

@@ivblizzard3616 Kobe would be ball dominant. Kobe doesn't run with traditional passing pg's. That's why Fisher was his best running mate and why they have the same amount of rings at the same exact times.

[@alfetoabortantezyotecreo]

Moses Malone (MVP 79, 82, 83) joined the sixers to play along Dr. J (MVP 81) during 83' and they won the championship. If that's not a KD at least it's close.

[@kendeng9828]

Legit LOL'ed at the title.

[@dragonrider1rc]

This is why Kevin Durant will NEVER be in my top 15. absolutely ridiculous lmao

[@younglove3362]

Because you're in your feelings and not thinking logically.

[@2playschemeo.p.croutes724]

@@dragonrider1rc he doesn’t play defense . That is why I would never consider him top 15. With his height and wingspan. He should be an elite shot blocker or rebounder.

[@Braydenshelton-m8d]

KEVIN DURANR DOESNT PLAY DEFENSE??????? are u actually stupid?? Dude averaged 2.3 blocks and 1.4 steals and was giving LeBron problems before he got injured What are u talking about?

[@NathanWhyte-m8l]

​@@2playschemeo.p.croutes724ikr. No all D teams is insane

[@josephdanielpsantos7417]

Jordan and Shaq would be an insane duo

[@rickb9327]

I know it’s not what people want hear, but sometimes people like moving to a different city every few years. Sometimes people show loyalty and love to their newly adopted countries as well.

[@kopf-heldtotalneuro-logisc8479]

I would have loved to see this Orlando team virtually - still being thankful that i was able to watch the bulls back then

[@anthonyhernandez2111]

You should make a Lebron creating a superteam what if comparable scenarios also lol Imagine if in 2004 Kobe asked a prime Tmac and Prime Dirk to join a team together..ridiculous 😂 and pretty comparable to Heatles

[@letstalkbasketball727]

They KD haters on this channel

[@patoooo2]

Yeah that team wouldn't work at all, maybe win 1 chip...

[@younglove3362]

0 chips. Too much offense and not enough defense.

[@TinyCat1015]

The difference is the Cavaliers refused to build around LeBron, while KD had it made in OKC with Russ but decided to join the team that beat him in the playoffs

[@younglove3362]

@TinyCat1015 KD and Russ was okay. They faltered after losing Harden. Besides, it's about winning. Not appeasing simple minded flip flopping casual bipolar fans.

[@TigerASmith]

great video idea

[@Siegfriedneo]

Honestly I think Giannis joining the Celtics in the summer of 2022 would’ve been even more OP than Jokic on the Wolves

[@gibtherockeryt]

Wow, those Suns with Kobe would have been the most exciting team to watch in NBA history!

[@Cindoreye]

KD is a great player, but that move was not great for the competitiveness of the league or the enjoyability of the product. To be the best you need to beat the best. Sometimes that is impossible. Shaq and Wilt can never go toe to toe, but if KD stayed put and won only one championship, his legacy would be viewed more favorably, in my opinion.

[@letstalkbasketball727]

Blah blah blah

[@SilentMovements305]

Facts

[@glennwilliams491]

Totally agree. Even the commissioner Adam Silver came out and said he didn’t think it was good for the league. And it wasn’t. The more good teams, the better. That’s in all sports. KD going to GS made it a foregone conclusion and boring. Not good. I would’ve much rather seen OKC and GS go at it again.

[@tonyt3197]

I always viewed the KD to Golden State situation from 2 perspectives: 1. From the integrity of pure competition, it put dent in things because everyone knew how op this was compared to the field 2. The other side is this league is a business and organizations will always do what is in the best interest that benefits them even at the behest of loyal players so if KD has the chance to be in position to make the best business decision for himself and his family then I’m in full support for it. we may not have seen a talented team to GS magnitude, but there have been teams in multiple throughout history that were the most talented and did not win it all so it wasn’t a full on guarantee GS would pull it off despite them being majority favorites.

[@hthrun]

I can't blame Durant for joining Golden State. When discussing legacies, the number of championships is always one of the top things mentioned. Since it's so hard to win a title, it can make sense to take a sure fire route to get one. You don't want to end up close but never pull through, like Barkley, Malone, Stockton, Iverson, etc.

[@hardwoodgems]

KD's decision in 2016 was WEAK!

[@younglove3362]

It was smart.

[@expiredmilk5435]

​@@younglove3362No it wasnt, it ruined his reputation

[@younglove3362]

@expiredmilk5435 What reputation? A bunch of simple minded sideline fans who changes their opinion every decade or so and are most of the time hypocrites and use emotions over logic? Miss me with that bs! It was the right move and resulted in his 2 rings. And there's nothing you, or the other crybabies can say or do about it but be pissed. And he was a top player, if not the best player, at the time. If you don't like it, tough. But it's a fact, no matter how you feel about it.

[@expiredmilk5435]

@@younglove3362 ok

[@imdbtruth]

Jason Kidd could've signed with the Spurs who were courting him heavily in the off-season after Kidd's Nets lost in the Finals to the Spurs in 6 games... Kidd could've easily chosen the path of least resistance and he'd have 3 or 4 rings that would've elevated his legacy even further.

[@timmyg831]

Jordan to the Shaq/Penny Magic team would’ve been the scariest. I also like the Magic Johnson to the Olajuwon/Sampson Rockets. Lakers got destroyed 4-1 in the playoffs, I was a teen but remember watching it. Frankly I think Bird was the best player of ‘80s.

[@JustAWriter12]

let's do a "Best Player of Each Decade Pulled A LeBron James" episode next time please

[@NathanWhyte-m8l]

How

[@JustAWriter12]

@@NathanWhyte-m8l we all know nobody can replicate the decision coz that was an all time weak a** b**ch move. I'm talking about superteam after superteam with little return

[@fredjohnson4057]

This is gonna be good.

[@shermanrobinson1178]

To me the most terrifying roster is Magic with Houston. They would've been unbeatable by almost anyone put together. The second is Jordan in Orlando. That squad is demolishing everyone

[@thelemonadelion4255]

the title jonny 😭😭

[@Vavutsikarios]

Not just Jokic to the wolves but also: Booker to Milwaukee, Tatum to Golden State, Buttler to Denver. Gotta love the 2020s so far

[@MusicLover-my6fo]

Dom2K and Mike Korzemba have videos like this on their channels, this takes me back a few years.

[@AustinMulkaMusic]

I think the biggest difference between LeBron to Miami and KD to the Warriors, is that Boston already had a super team. LeBron was just evening the playing field. It was still competitive, Miami went 2-2 and Miami winning was dependent upon LeBron playing really well. In KD’s situation, it was already competitive. And he took away all the competition.

[@strmshadow8411]

Boston was not a super team, stop it. It was 3 aging stars literally at the tail end of their primes coming together. And even with them joining up they only went to the Finals twice and won 1 chip. That is not a super team.

[@tasherxx_]

The difference was just how lebron presented his move rather than the actual move

[@davis2k1234]

Celtics were aging out and that team was built through trades not collusion and 2012 was last season they were good that’s 2 years Lebron had to wait out and the fact Dwade and CBosh were the best players in the East behind Lebron 3 best players in East teaming up through free agency is to very similar KDs

[@strmshadow8411]

@@tasherxx_ Nah, not just the Miami move, ALL of his moves have been uncompetitive. Every time he does something, he's joining up with a TOP if not MULTIPLE Top talents. Miami - A top 5 player and top 15 player Cleveland - A top 7ish player and a top 20 player Lakers - A top 2-5 player and no worse than a TOP 3 Center The ONLY reason he doesn't have more wins is from the Rise of GS and him underachieving in Miami from his subpar play.

[@patoooo2]

Still 4 rings tho

[@strgametakes3699]

That LeBron to the Celtics scared the hell out of me

[@TheOneTrueMvP]

LeBron to Boston would have been bonkers

[@atlanta1290]

What if LBJ joined the Lakers in 2010? 😅

[@sat25940]

Good heavens, that Suns team would've torched a boatload of offensive records.

[@MegaMjjordan]

This is the ONE. The exact difference and criticism.

[@allsmiles3666]

I think the MJ one would've been crazier solely based on the fact that MJ just came back to the NBA. Imagine being a Bulls fan in that reality. Going through nearly 2 seasons of rumors and hoping MJ comes back, possibly thinking he never will, he actually does make a comeback and is still the best in the world. He then gets eliminated and forms a superteam with the guys who just eliminated him.

[@gastonperazzo4836]

Unrelated note to this great video: Jonny it would be awesome to hear your take on C Clark and her effect on the sport!

[@ktapreswreckd921v9]

Excellent point with Michael joining the Orlando Magic team Jonny! That would have been as weak as Kevin Durant's stunt!!

[@Lalambz]

the only time a “superteam” can be accepted is if the franchise player takes their team as far as they can and over the age of 33.. as that’s usually the twilight of a player’s prime.. it brings on the young bucks vs the old dawwgs!

[@sjw4life546]

The Orlando team with Shaq and Penny broke up due to arguments over whose team it was. With Jordans arrival that would exacerbate those tensions. Super teams work when egos are put aside (Wade to Lebron) or when players feel like they don't have much time left in their careers to win a ring (Pierce, Allen, Garnett). Magic Johnson joining the Rockets could work, because Hakeem and Sampson were good, but they weren't feeling themselves like Shaq and Penny was. Deferring to Magic would be easy.

[@ck_idgaf1680]

As a Curry and Warriors fan I loved it and will always love it. The Warriors "upgraded" they had just lost starting SF Harrison Barnes to the Mavs, so why not get the 2nd best SF (since Lebron was supposedly the best SF/PG at that time). It's free agency for a reason, if the so-called best player can have a superteam, why not anyone else.

[@pleacedYT]

I don’t think the Warriors would’ve won in 2017 without Kevin Durant unless they got somebody in the off-season Kevin Durant also wanted to go to the Celtics and the Spurs now imagine Kevin Durant with that Spurs team with Kawhi Leonard or that Celtics team with an up-and-coming Isaiah Thomas And the Cavaliers already approved fully healthy that they can be the Warriors so I really don’t think the Warriors would win without Kevin Durant

[@younglove3362]

If the 2016 finals rigged in favor for LeBron then Durant probably wouldn't have gone to Golden State.

[@atlanta1290]

The GSW were up 3-1 against the Cavs and choked. That team would’ve motivated to correct their mistakes and win in 2017.

[@pleacedYT]

@@younglove3362 this guy 🙃

[@pleacedYT]

@@atlanta1290 no way again you’re forgetting KD either going to the Celtics or Spurs especially if he went to the Spurs and that same exact team without Kevin Durant we’re up by 26 against the Warriors team no one would stop them

[@atlanta1290]

@@pleacedYT I think you’re discounting GSW. They won a title in 2015 and had the pieces to win again. The fact is that they won again without KD. KD joining GSW made them unbeatable.

[@Davivd2]

I think that Kobe leaving to join Phoenix would have been the most acceptable move. The Lakers didn't give him much to work with after Shaq left. Not until Pau came, Jackson and Fisher came back. What about Damian Lillard? He could have bounced out of Portland and joined up with any of the teams in the west over his career. Minus the Warriors because they were set at point guard. Personally I'm divided on KD making this move and all the hate that he got for it. I'm an old school guy. I liked watching guys stick it out with their team and it does add some extra sauce to their meal when they win it all. But if KD had stayed in OKC, he would have been Bernard King, or Dominique Wilkens. Guys who are criminally under rated and all but forgotten about. From KD's perspective, when it's all said and done, he's disrespected either way. Forgotten player because he never won it all, or soft because he joined a super team. At least he got a ring out of going to the Warriors. OKC wasn't paying Harden and shipped him out. The writing was on the wall in OKC. It was time to go, the salary cap left and opening, and TBH, he would be FUCKING STUPID not to take the opportunity. On the flip side, Lebron, D Wade, and Chris Bosh, had planned their super team 2 years before it happened, and were not only talking about it with each other behind the scenes, but trying to figure out if it was going to be Miami or Chicago. Somehow, that's OK. Lebron gets a pass. He's the "GOAT" in many people's opinion. I just find it funny how certain moves are completely fine, and others, that are not that different, or even better, get looked at in a negative way. KD saw an opportunity for success and he took it. That's the meaning of life. From lowly beggars to hall of fame basketball players, and everyone in between. I'm an old school guy. KD made the easy move. But it was the right move. Shaq did the same thing in his day moving out of Orlando. He was the first big star to actually utilize free agency. Not because it was against the rules. Just because he was the first player willing to do it. Orlando fans hated him for about 2 seasons. Nobody outside of Orlando hated Shaq for it. Makes no sense to me. As far as I'm concerned what Shaq did wasn't any better or worse than what KD did. Lastly a tale of 2 Kevin's. One Kevin (McHale) gets drafted into a super team situation, wins multiple rings, and is a hall of fame basketball talent. Nobody has any problems with it. Another Kevin (Durant) joins a super team, has the same kind of success, and is a hall of fame talent. The only difference being luck VS choice. Are we really so petty as a society for hating on a man who took control over his destiny, and praising a man who had it fall into his lap? Is that really where we are at in 2024?

[@SoundBoykillaa]

Leabron did a lot of team hopping but i don't hear or see anyone calling that weak 😂

[@Al.j.Vasquez]

3:29 woahhh 😮😮 what a shot!!

[@IEmulateGames]

I was waiting for this type of video. Just bashing KD for 10 minutes straight

[@rayrawket]

KD was my fav player at the time esp since he was playing for my hometown team OKC. I never was more annoyed about anything basketball until he did that

[@younglove3362]

Cry a river🏞 and I'll swim 🏊‍♀️ in your tears 😢

[@rayrawket]

@@younglove3362 I’m not with the Diddy movement

[@younglove3362]

@@rayrawket Neither am I.

[@Anonymityfan]

Shaq compared it to him going to the Bulls after they swept Orlando. Imagine the 96 Bulls whose onky weakness was the lack of a great big man adding Shaq!

[@freddysaucedo8650]

Durant's rings have to be the most tarnished in NBA history. How do you join a team who not only beat you but came back from a 3-1 deficit to beat you, a team who's already won the finals without you and won again after you left

[@Trevdawg48]

Wilt to the 60s Celtics would be the most terrifying.

[@atlanta1290]

I’m glad Wilt never joined Boston

[@Anonymityfan]

The thing I think is a shame is that if KD stayed at OKC and could get his chemistry with Russ sorted it would have been an interesting and evenly natched 3 horse race between Cleveland, GSW and OKC

[@zw8596]

That Magic squad looks absolutely terrifying.

[@moety2]

There is no real comparison to what KD did under those circumstances. I think you did a good job to come close to possible ones. When people use to debate who would win, MJ’s bulls of the KD warriors, I always said if one of the best players in the league joined the bulls like Olajuwon in his prime, we wouldn’t be having this debate. That’s what KD did in joining the warriors lol.

[@gotwobag7876]

ONE HUNDRED NINETY FIVE THOUSAND!!!!🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@TreFKennedy]

Jordan , Penny and Shaq??? 3 peat at least

[@nathanmckenzie904]

That would have been NASTY!

[@abidurrahmannajib4092]

For 2020s, another one would be in the summer of 2022, if Giannis joins the Celtics after they beat him before losing in the finals. They'd have a possible lineup of giannis tatum brown white and smart.

[@BabayaGuns]

I think what if Shaq Joined that 96 Bulls might actually be the closest thing to KD joining GSW

[@rongiefaustino8867]

Year by year is more intriguing 2024: if Embiid joined Luka's Mavs 2023: Giannis to the Heat 2022: Jokic to the Suns 2019: Westbrook to the Warriors 2018: Harden to the Cavs 2017: Kawhi to the Cavs 2016: Steph to OKC 🔁 2015: KD to Cleveland 2014: LeBron to OKC 2013: CP3 to the Spurs 2012: D-Rose to OKC 2011: LeBron to OKC 2010: Nowitzki to Boston 2009: Kobe to Orlando 2008: Nash to the Lakers (way earlier than he actually did) 2007: Nash to the Cavs 2006: Kobe to the Mavs 2005: Kobe to the Pistons 2004: KG to the Lakers 2003: Kidd to the Lakers 2002: Duncan to the Kings 2001: Iverson to the Spurs 2000: Malone to Indiana 1999: Shaq to New York 1998: Miller to the Bulls 1997: Hakeem to the Jazz 1996: Malone to Seattle 1995: Robinson to Orlando 1994: Barkley to the Knicks

[@KeemL-w6x]

Do a video if the best draft classes pulled a Lebron. That would be nice. Like MJ, Hakeem, & Stockton all on one team.

[@thareelhelloagain]

Lebron kind of did do the same thing, though, by joining another top 10 player in the league at his team, and having another top 25 guy join them.

[@FAlynn92]

...not to mention the 3 of them were drafted together, so these are the guys he's supposed to be competing AGAINST.

[@atlanta1290]

More egregious scenarios: Magic joining Bird and Celtics in 84 MJ23 joining the Pistons in the late 80s Drexler joining the Bulls in 92 Shaq joining the Bulls in 96 Duncan joining the Lakers early 2000s Kobe joining the Spurs in mid 2000s

[@legendarywiimaster]

Tim Duncan joining the Lakers in 2009 would’ve been very similar as well.

[@richardjackson5670]

This is why I can’t put Durant in my top 10 all time! It was such a weak move! It would be like Jordan joining the Detroit Pistons 🤦🏾‍♂️. Do you know how dominant the Pistons would’ve been?? They would’ve won 10 straight rings 🤦🏾‍♂️ 😊

[@jrealdahoodsgreatest]

What if MVP D Rose joined the 2012 Miami Heat ? Still not the same because Bulls had the best record ig. Man that KD move was crazy

[@markjackson6431]

Bob Lanier is the most underrated player EVER

[@harrisontull8377]

Moses malone or Bob McAdoo

[@markjackson6431]

@@harrisontull8377 and yet those men are on the top 75. Bob Lanier didn’t make it. thus he’s more underrated. everyone talks about Moses and McAdoo.

[@harrisontull8377]

@@markjackson6431 i promise you nobody is talking about them. Nobody ever talk about McAdoo and the only time people talk moses is when they talking about rebounds. Someone else I would throw in that conversation is Nate Thurmond.

[@markjackson6431]

@@harrisontull8377 they literally made the 75 greatest player list which indicates people talk about them. every legmen talks about Bob McAdoo. youtubers talk about Moses Malone. no one talks about Bob Lanier. he’s the most underrated player ever.

[@thaateamgamingmovietvchann511]

What if Wilt Chamberlain said hey Bill I’m coming to Boston that would have been weaker than KD to the Warriors 💯

[@daddoesfitness7691]

Jordan to Orlando would have been nuts

[@seanmolloy2172]

The best example this decade in giannis joining boston in 22.

[@jeanferguson9063]

The 2010s we don't need to imagine it because we saw it happening in LB joining Miami with 2 other superstars for form the first super team with all of them in their prime, so don't try to say that he didn't do it because he didn't go to Boston, what he Lebron James did was as cowardly as what KD did... 🤷

[@FAlynn92]

Thank you. LeBron teamed up with his draft class mates in their prime, and KD joined the team that just beat him. Both weak moves, yet everyone seems to forget one of them. Orchestrating a superteam with the guys you should be striving to beat is weak, and on top of that he also tried to recruit Melo, ANOTHER star player from the 03 draft class. If he instead went elsewhere to get the upper hand on Boston, it would've been well received by everyone outside of Cleveland. They did him no favors with their poor roster construction from 2004 - 2010. As far as KD to the warriors, KD could've joined a 40-win team and it'd still be a weak move to join the team that knocked you out. Leaving OKC was the right move, Joining the Warriors was the weak move.

[@KingoftheLions-z87]

@@FAlynn92 that heat team was a superteam, but for only two years. That team had no pg or a true C. Wade in 2014 knees were cooked and chris bosh had a blood clot in his arms and body. Him and wade were basically cooked after that. Also, san antonio had a better and younger depth to their team. Yes they were a superteam but calling it weaker than kd is crazy

[@KingoftheLions-z87]

@@FAlynn92 melo was trying to get him on the knicks my guy. Also, Chicago was looking for lebron too

[@SonJosuke-oz5ru]

knee wade in his prime? he was perfect the first season together good the second season and straight up fell off after that due to his knee injury.

[@jps0583]

@@FAlynn92yall say “striving to beat” like Miami and Toronto were title contenders or something…Miami was a 1st round exit and Toronto was a non playoff team…there was no “striving to beat”😭

[@i_l96]

Lebron is the originator of jumping ship to form superteams, he's done WAY before KD and did it 3 times. KD joined 1 superstar, the ONLY other superstar that joined them was Demarcus "who wasn't healthy" Cousins. Kevin Durant left Westbrook (a shot chucker, who can't even make layups and is only good at dunking), because he was being held back and joined a losing franchise (73-9 means nothing without a championship). He made the best decision for himself and the NBA.

[@letstalkbasketball727]

This is facts

[@jps0583]

It’s funny how u made a bunch of excuses for KD to push your anti Lebron agenda🤣so it was Russ fault that Kd shot 32% from the field and 12% from 3 while going 1/7 in the 4th of game 6 vs the warriors in 2016? I also love how u said one superstar and tried to diminish the 2016 warriors bc they ain’t win🤣if them going 73-9 means nothing then the heat winning 47 games in 2010 should mean more🤣and bosh wasn’t a superstar either so they both joined one superstar by your logic…so keep trying buddy

[@juniorrodriguez_LA]

That thumbnail is wrong because LeBron did pull a kevin Duran, also LeBron invited the super team because alone he dint have the skill to win. Ain't no party like a Diddy party

[@Placid_Falcon]

The premise of his entire video is somewhat sublime, lol. To me, only Kevin Durant could pull a Kevin Durant. The reason why Durant worked is because he was bred different. As Charles Barkley once said, Durant is "sensitive". People say that's a negative trait, but it also means his ego is less aggressive than the average superstar. This allows him to do things like hop into a team full of existing egos and still excel. I'm not even sure if MJ or Shaq could emotionally stomach that. And that's not a knock on them. It's just a statement on how different Durant's psychology is.

[@younglove3362]

They also leave out that trades, drafts, and free agency was different back then as opposed to today's times. Most players were either stuck in long contracts or had to work miracles to get traded. It's not due to his mentality, it's because of his options. And players like Shaq and Barkley need to hush. Shaq left Orlando because he didn't have his way and did the same in LA. Barkley was trapped on the 76ers before finally getting to the Suns. They all would have pulled a Durant and need to stop sounding like hypocrites 🙄. Plenty of players I the past wish they could have changed their fortunes and been in better situations to win rings.

[@Anonymityfan]

Nash with Kobe would be terrifying

[@really0213]

Imagine if Bron left Miami immediately not even a year after the decision, and then joined Dirk in Dallas.

[@HailKingCeezer]

Next do one for if the best player of each decade pulled a LeBron and teamed up with other in prime superstars every time the team started to collapse, just run and team up over and over since their prime. KD only did this move to top LeBrons own weak moves. Love how yall ignore that.

[@jonnyarnett]

It's not ignored. I'm literally in a conversation in the comments about it and thinking about doing it. lmao. KD's move was definitely far worse, but that could still be an interesting video, because LeBron, Wade and Bosh were the top MVP vote getters out of the East in 2010. I think the way to do it is where the top 3 players out of a conference all joined the same team.

[@edwinbrown2148]

@@jonnyarnettOnly difference tho is lebron won 2 chips with the cavs an the lakers outside of Miami. With KD its different cuz he only won with one team. Plus kd has played on superteams outside of the warriors an failed.

[@ktapreswreckd921v9]

Or Larry Bird joining the Showtime Lakers after 1987 NBA Finals. That spells Durant's stunt too.

[@JimMacintosh]

Durant with that beta mentality

[@HailKingCeezer]

then what's lebrons mentality for teaming up so many times too?

[@JimMacintosh]

@@HailKingCeezer Also a beta. LeWoke is an idiot who loves communist China

[@jlui21]

-- KD joining was empowered by....the increase in cap space. Either way, BETA

[@christianr1941]

​@@HailKingCeezerbro just had to bring LeBron up

[@HailKingCeezer]

@@christianr1941 and here come the kings subjects to defend him. KD never joins GS if LeBron doesn't pull the first beta domino, period. KDs moves have been weaker, yes, but also found less success bc of the mentality that they dont need defense or a good coach. LeBron on the other hand is better GM in finding role players that suit him and his superstar team up mates. KD teams up with 1 way stars, LeBron with 2 way stars. That's been the only difference.