Golden State Warriors legend Rick Barry still has bittersweet feelings about the departure of Kevin Durant to the Brooklyn Nets. The Hall of Famer who once brought the organization a title in 1975, was puzzled at Durant's decision to leave a potentially unbeatable situation, playing alongside an All-Star-studded core and potentially making $57 million more in free agency by inking a deal with the Warriors.
One thing is clear — Barry wants an explanation:
“I'm hoping some day he's gonna come forward and actually explain why it is he made the decision to leave because personally I can't figure out what reasons would justify wanting to leave the situation that he's in,” Barry told TMZ Sports.




“It's such an incredible opportunity to be one of the greatest teams in the history of your sport. You have great teammates who can help you to achieve the goal of winning more championships and not have to carry the whole load yourself, be in a new arena that's gonna be fantastic, with great fans. So it's hard for me to conceive of why he wanted to leave.”
“I wish him all the best but I will root against him when he plays against the Warriors when he comes back from his injury,” said Barry. “Thank you for what you did to bring championships to this team with your amazing skills. So sorry for your injury and we'll pray for you that you will have a full and speedy recovery, and I look forward to watching you perform in the future.”
The Hall of Fame guard is old school to a core, and likely still puzzled by the non-basketball decisions modern players make nowadays. Durant's departure was much more than for mere basketball reasons, but part of a life journey he chose to partake in.
Barry ended his assessment with one last plea for Durant:
“And I hope that maybe, just give me a call if you'd like, and tell me why you left. I'd just like to know why… I would've loved to had you finish out your career here, and bring more championships. But, whatever it is and whatever the reason is, that's your choice and i wish you all the best that life has to offer.”