Portland Trail Blazers shooting guard C.J. McCollum isn’t one to hide his feelings towards Western Conference rival Golden State Warriors.
After having Warriors forward Kevin Durant on his personal podcast late last month, McCollum was later called out by Durant after he claimed that the reigning Finals MVP's move to the then 73-win Warriors was a weak one for a superstar.
Despite the media and internet attention the Twitter feud generated, McCollum hasn’t stopped there as he recently let loose about players that sign with the Warriors in order to chase rings, labeling it as “disgusting.”
The Blazers finished as the third seed last campaign in the tough Western Conference, and many thought the team may give the eventual champion Warriors a run for their money but it wasn’t to be, as the Blazers got bounced in the first round at the hands of Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans. McCollum played admirably, but running partner Damian Lillard came under scrutiny and rightly so, as he underperformed in the playoffs and was flat out awful at times.
The Warriors then went on to win the NBA championship at the expense of the far-less-talented Cleveland Cavaliers despite the Cavs having the best player in the world in LeBron James. The Cavs were never really in the series, and the Warriors ran away comprehensive winners.
If their squad wasn’t already stacked enough, the Warriors then added dominant big man DeMarcus Cousins this offseason in a move that shook the NBA world to its very core. When Cousins eventually comes back from his Achilles injury in December or January, the Warriors will have five All-Stars on the floor at the same time, something we have never seen in the modern NBA.
Because of the move that Durant made, and with Cousins signing a one-year deal for just $5.3 million, questions have rightly surfaced about the competitive nature of some players in the league. It’s fair to say McCollum is correct in his stance and has every right to question whether it’s good for the league or not.
As you can see, players like McCollum are adamant they aren’t brought up the same way as others, meaning that they would rather earn a championship with their own franchise than jump ship and chase a ring with an already talented team.
His comments will no doubt resonate with many NBA fans and players, alike, moving forward.
It’s safe to say the Warriors won’t be liking the comments and will circle the dates they meet up with the Blazers during the regular season.
There definitely won’t be any love lost between the teams, and look for their matchups to be fiery affairs as another Western Conference rivalry is brewing.
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