Kevin Durant’s Big Free Agent Decision

Team Loyalty

Despite the years of conversations and hypothetical situations, Kevin Durant has never given any indication he desires to leave Oklahoma City. There is an allure to being a superstar who stays with one team for his entire career.

The bond between a player and a team’s fans in those situations is special.

But if Durant stays, his career could be defined by what he never achieved — a title — than by his loyalty to a team and a fan base. Dirk Nowitzki, a superstar who has played for Dallas his entire career, won his first title late into his career, but he is the exception to the rule.

If Oklahoma City can never break through, is Durant content being John Stockton or Karl Malone?

Asking these questions is an endeavor in the unknowable. Kevin Durant’s circle of people he trusts is small, and no real word has slipped out about his preferences or priorities. If Durant wants to win a title, a strong case can be made to stay in Oklahoma City.

But the Thunder will always play in the West, where Minnesota and Utah look to join Golden State and San Antonio at the top, and superstars await in Portland, Houston, and New Orleans.

Durant has forged a special bond with the city of Oklahoma City, starting a local restaurant and being heavily involved in the community. He is on a team that has grown with and around him and his running mate is his close friend who he regularly sticks up for in front of the media.

Is that enough to keep him in Oklahoma City?

Next: Easier Path