David West sacrificed money for a bigger chance of winning a title. Why is he getting criticized for it?
When it was announced that 13-year NBA veteran David West was signing with the Golden State Warriors, I expected to see people applauding his sacrifice and commitment to winning a championship.
After all, that was mostly the reponse West received last year around this time, when he surprised many by using his player option to decline the final year and $12 million of his contract with the Pacers to sign for the veteran minimum of $1.5 million.
NBA players are often criticized for saying they want to win a title, only to sign with a mediocre team for more money. West doubling down on sacrificing millions and millions of dollars to contend for a title would surely cause people to celebrate his selflessness, right?
Wrong.
West’s decision to play for the greatest team ever on paper garnered mostly negative responses and the snowball effect of criticism made West…well, just take a look:
The topic of ring-chasing seems to be at an all-time high ever since Kevin Durant joined the Warriors.
“Ring-chasing” has a few different forms. It’s one thing for Durant to sign with the Warriors. It’s an entirely different thing when West signs for the veteran minimum with the Warriors.
When a star like Durant joins the best team in the NBA, which is entirely within his rights as a free agent, it shifts the league.
Fans of the game want there to be multiple contenders in each conference and Durant’s signing with the Warriors lifted a 73-win team while also eliminating their biggest threat in the Western Conference. The Thunder are no longer contenders, the Spurs didn’t appear to be a serious threat for the Warriors last season and they’re an aging team that’s only gotten older thus far this offseason.
Blue Man Hoop
The West has one contender. The East has one contender. Fans of the Thunder, Spurs, Clippers, Raptors, Celtics, and other really good teams will now view the season as somewhat meaningless even at the peak of this upcoming season, knowing that Warriors and Cavaliers are simply superior to their competition and have little chance — outside of injuries to those two top dogs — of overcoming the clear-cut top of the NBA.
Durant was certainly just exercising his rights as a free agent in an outlier of a situation where a record-setting team had a chance to add one of the top three players in the league without trading for them (although the Warriors were forced to give up Harrison Barnes, Festus Ezeli, and Andrew Bogut to make the Durant signing possible, a price they have no problems paying for one of the league’s elite talents).
What does this have to do with West?
West is not jeopardizing the balance of power in the league by signing with the Warriors. He’s a 35-year-old basketball player in the twilight of his career with hopes of adding a title to his career accomplishments.
He’s right in the sweet spot for ring-chasing. He’s too old and his game has eroded enough to where he has no business playing 25-30 minutes per night, but still has too much left in the tank to put his playing days behind him.
For guys like West, they’re going to play somewhere. Why not play for a team in contention for a championship with what could be one of the greatest teams in NBA history?
He could’ve signed a contract for more money elsewhere and played with no goal other than helping out some young players with nothing to show other than more millions in his bank account. Had West signed with a team out of contention, he would’ve been destined to fade into obscurity and become one of the classic “Keep Getting Them Checks” All-Stars.
More from Hoops Habit
- The 5 most dominant NBA players who never won a championship
- 7 Players the Miami Heat might replace Herro with by the trade deadline
- Meet Cooper Flagg: The best American prospect since LeBron James
- Are the Miami Heat laying the groundwork for their next super team?
- Sophomore Jump: 5 second-year NBA players bound to breakout
If he did so, no one would’ve said a word about West. He wouldn’t have become a trending topic on Twitter or have a Twitter Moments page dedicated to him about how “thirsty” he is for a ring.
Veterans signing with contenders in hopes of being a role player on a champion is not a new occurrence and has been going on for decades in the NBA.
I hear it all the time from fans who criticize players for taking the money instead of an easier road to a title and say from their couches that they’d take less money for a championship.
David West does just what those fans claim they would do if they had the talent that these players possess, and gets criticized for it.
More hoops habit: The Many Ripple Effects Of Dwyane Wade's Bulls Decision
West’s signing should be commended for his selflessness, commitment to winning a championship, and proving that some players value winning games and titles over collecting paychecks.