Everyone that follows basketball has an opinion on Kevin Durant’s free agency decision to take his talents to the Bay Area and join the Golden State Warriors. Not only have fans been reacting to the news, but former players too.
Charles Barkley, who didn’t manage to win a championship during his Hall of Fame career, has stated that Kevin Durant is ‘cheating his way to a title’ by joining the 2014-2015 NBA champions.
Well, another basketball great has spoken and this time it is a player who Durant admired growing up – Larry Bird.
The Boston Celtics legend expressed his opinion on the matter during an interview on Sirius XM NBA radio. ‘Larry Legend’, who now works as president for the Indiana Pacers, said that he could not have ever imagined joining forces with any of his rivals:
Article Continues Below“I know back in the day, I couldn’t imagine going to the Lakers and playing with Magic Johnson. I’d rather try to beat him,” the three-time NBA champion said. “I could never imagine myself going and joining another team with great players, because I had great players and I was in a great situation.”
Bird wasn’t lying about the great players he played with. Fellow NBA Hall of Famers such as Kevin McHale, Robert Parish, and Bill Walton took to the hardwood alongside Bird, among others. The team enjoyed some epic battles with Magic Johnson’s Los Angeles Lakers and Isiah Thomas' Detroit Pistons.
Of course, the current Oklahoma City Thunder roster doesn’t hold up to the legendary Celtics lineup of the '80s, but many fans believe Durant left behind a unit that was capable to challenge for the league’s greatest prize.
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