Golden State Warriors Pulling Out All The Stops To Lure Durant

The Golden State Warriors are so intent on luring Kevin Durant to the Bay Area that they’re even trotting out an NBA legend to recruit him.

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You have to give the Golden State Warriors a lot of credit for their tenacity and for proving that their one-upsmanship game is strong. After reports got out that the Boston Celtics trotted out Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in an attempt to lure prized free agent Kevin Durant, the Warriors did them one better and rolled out a living NBA legend – the logo himself – Jerry West, to try and seal the deal to bring Durant to the Bay Area.

A Golden State contingent of Joe Lacob, Steve Kerr, Stephen Curry, and Klay Thompson got together with Durant in the Hamptons and had a meeting that was described as having gone “very well.” Yet Durant, with a plethora of other teams interested in his services, was ultimately non-committal and remained on his free agent tour, visiting with the Celtics, Spurs, and Clippers as well.

With Durant expected to make a decision very soon, it is believed that the only contenders left standing are the Celtics, the Warriors, and of course, the Thunder.

Not content to sit and wait though, the Warriors were proactive about getting Durant into a Golden State jersey. After the Celtics brought out Brady – who has been described as Durant’s “favorite athlete” – the Warriors brought in West, who is their closer and a bit more relevant to Durant’s interests to try and seal the deal.

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By bringing in West, the Warriors were able to give Durant something neither Brady and the Celtics or the Thunder could – the perspective of the game as given by an NBA legend.

It’s been reported that West didn’t give Durant a hard sell pitch or actively try to sway him to make his decision on a certain team. Instead, West gave Durant the lessons he learned along his own road in the NBA – particularly, that of one of the greats of the game who kept falling short of winning a title.

West reportedly talked to Durant about losing his first seven trips to the Finals – finally breaking through with the Lakers in 1972 – and about how those near misses and close losses nagged at him to this very day. He reportedly also made a point of telling Durant that playing alongside Thompson, Curry, and Draymond Green would help his overall game, making it easier for him to score as many points on fewer contested shots.

After all, if teams are forced to key on all four guys, Durant is going to face far fewer double teams and might get a lot of easier, uncontested looks at the basket.

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And for the final dagger to the heart, West apparently appealed to Durant’s pride. Sources reported that West spoke to Durant about how his overall game is overlooked in Oklahoma City, that even though he’s a fantastic scorer, his defense and rebounding don’t get the sort of attention they should. West told him that if Durant plays with a team that wins titles, the other facets of his game will be recognized far more than they are now.

It’s as good of a sales pitch as you’re going to hear in the NBA, given by a man who’s lived it. West has been where Durant is – part of a talented team that continually comes up just short of the ultimate prize. If anybody has credibility in that department, it’s West.

And if winning titles is what is important to Durant, there is no other team vying for his services in a better position to help deliver them to him. Golden State has dominated the absolutely loaded Western Conference for the last couple of years. And they came up just short of winning a second straight title in a hotly contested – even controversial – series against Cleveland.

If there is anybody on the market who can help put the Warriors over the top, it’s Durant. And if there is a team out there that can help give him the titles he is said to covet so greatly, it’s the Warriors.

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It seems like a match made in heaven. A win-win for both player and team. The Warriors have made their strongest push and have given the best pitch they can – even one-upping the legendary Celtics in the process. Now, all they – and the rest of the NBA – can do is sit, wait, and see where the balance of power shifts.