OAKLAND — With the glaring caveat that it was an exhibition game against a group of Chinese players that wouldn’t cut it in the D-League, Kevin Durant’s first action at Oracle Arena since signing with the Golden State Warriors was a beautifully satisfying tease of what’s to come.
KD didn’t dilly-dally; he displayed his effortless shooting stroke right away. On Team USA’s first possession off the tip, he drained a 3-pointer. Thirty seconds later, a breakaway dunk. Then another slam. Before long, the score was Durant 10, China 6.
Finally, other members of Team USA started to chip in and the game ended with a lopsided 107-57 final score. But Tuesday’s contest had little to do with preparing for Rio and everything to do with Kevin Durant. He received a hero’s welcome, as expected, and didn’t disappoint.
He did more than just score, too. Soon after Durant re-entered the game with seven minutes left in the first half, the crowd started its trademark slow-paced “Warriors” chant. He responded with a pretty assist and an unbelievably athletic play that will go unnoticed, but encapsulates what makes him such a unique talent. Klay Thompson airmailed a full-court pass to Durant that looked like it was heading for the seats. But KD glided to the corner, leaped and utilized his otherworldly wingspan to delicately corral Thompson’s ugly feed.
The final line: 19 minutes and 22 seconds of action, 13 points on 4-for-8 shooting (2-for-5 from deep), 3-for-3 from the charity stripe, three rebounds, two assists, a steal and two turnovers.
Durant’s skillset is no secret. He’s been a top-five player in the NBA for the better part of this decade, so seeing him dominate against lesser competition is not exactly noteworthy. But that doesn’t make it any less exciting, especially because of what it suggests will come next.
After Durant takes care of business in Rio and brings home a gold medal, it will be time to turn the page to the much-anticipated Warriors chapter of his career. Seeing him flanked by Thompson and Draymond Green on the Oracle Arena court finally allows everything that’s transpired since Durant’s July 4th announcement to sink in.
This is not a dream. Kevin Durant is a Golden State Warrior and Dub Nation will have the privilege of watching him for 82 games and a playoff run.
Lest we all forget, the Warriors also have the reigning back-to-back MVP in Steph Curry at their disposal as well. Steph, along with his wife Ayesha and Andre Iguodala, attended Tuesday’s game and made his mark as well. During game action, the crowd shifted its attention from the court as Curry and Co. took their seats and showered him with cheers. After the game, he traded 3-pointers with Iguodala’s son while a couple thousand fans lingered. You can’t blame them for sticking around. They won’t get to see their favorite players grace this court again for a few months, so they wanted to get their fix.
But before long, Durant will be switching out the Team USA jersey for one with a Warriors logo and running out of the tunnel to warm up with Curry, Thompson, Green, Iguodala and the rest of his new teammates. If Tuesday is any indication, he’ll feel right at home here.
