OAKLAND–He’ll never shed the criticism.
But on Tuesday night, Kevin Durant accomplished his mission.
Last summer, Durant announced he was leaving the Oklahoma City Thunder after spending the first nine seasons of his career with the same team, and Durant drew harsh jeers from fans and critics who felt he shouldn’t have abandoned his original team.
Durant left to better position himself to earn a championship ring.
And on Tuesday, he finally put the ring on his finger.
Durant led the Warriors to an NBA Finals victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games, and earned series MVP for the heroics he displayed against LeBron James’ team. While Golden State captured the fifth title in franchise history back in June, Durant had to wait until the 2017-2018 season-opener against the Houston Rockets to finally put the ring on his finger.
Minutes before the Warriors’ title defense kicked off, Durant was in the center of Oracle Arena, receiving his bling from team owner Joe Lacob.
It’s a moment he’ll never forget. It was surely worth it.