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Kevin Durant has received an endless array of nicknames for his departure from Oklahoma City — whether it's “snake,” or “coward,” or the more popular “cupcake” after a moniker he and his former teammates for players that are soft.
But the now-champion warned there is no such thing as loyalty in the business of basketball, as the two sides will often find to do what is best of them, with no regard for the other's best interest.
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“Ain't no such thing [as loyalty],” Durant told Ric Bucher of Bleacher Report. “You see disloyalty in different ways, but that's one of the most underrated parts of the game. We scream loyalty, but we don't expect it from the people writing the checks because they're writing the checks.”
“[People say] ‘You should be fine with it because you're getting paid.' I liked it better when I was naive about the NBA business, how f**ked up it is. That was better for me that way… You put money and business into something that's pure, it's going to f**k it up.”
Durant has lost money for his decision, not only getting less in 2016 for signing with his non-Bird team, but also by taking a discount this past summer in order to keep the core of this championship team. But his loyalty remains first and foremost to himself, as no franchise will sacrifice the interest of the team for one player — no matter how special or celebrated he is.
