It wasn't too long ago since Kevin Durant had to make perhaps the most important decision of his life. He had chosen to transfer out of Oak Hill Academy as a junior to join Montrose Christian Academy for his last high school season. He committed to the Texas Longhorns not too long after, but after nine years in the league, several scoring titles and a fruitless NBA Finals appearance, the Washington D.C. native needed a change.

Poised into free agency for the first time in his career, the possibility to come to the Golden State Warriors had been infamously posed by Draymond Green right after a record-breaking season and a heartbreaking loss in Game 7 of the NBA Finals in 2016. Yet Durant had some questions about a decision that could give him everything or cost him everything, depending on how right or wrong he was with this pivotal choice awaiting him.

So he chose to reach out to Jarrett Jack, who had played one of his best NBA seasons in 2012-13 with the Warriors.

“Can you talk real quick?,” read a message from Durant in his cell phone, according to Yaron Weitzman of Bleacher Report.

The two veterans had known each other after growing up in the same area, making Jack the perfect connection to this team — an experience veteran that has played for eight different teams in 13 years in the league.

Shocked by the seriousness of the question, more incisive ones followed.

“What's Steph like?” Durant asked, once the two talked on the phone.

kevin durant
CP

Durant knew just who to call and what questions to ask.

“J-Jack was probably the first guy I called,” Durant said. “Because it's different when you talk to coaches or guys that have just been around. Jarrett was on the floor with them when they started to make their turn. I knew he was someone I could trust, someone who understands the player's perspective.”

Jack was his usual straight-forward self when prompted the question.

“You're a great dude. They're a bunch of great dudes. You'd like it a lot,” he said, which made an imprint of Durant's decision coming into his famed meeting with The Hampton's Five.

The Georgia Tech product started four games in his only season with the Warriors, making 75 appearances coming off the bench under Stephen Curry and proving to be the steady spark plug they needed.

Durant chose to join that very summer and has Jack to thank for the sound advice, now more than a year removed from their talk.