In the 2016 Western Conference Finals, the Oklahoma City Thunder came within just one game of defeating the 73-9 Golden State Warriors and advancing to the NBA Finals.

So when former Thunder superstar Kevin Durant decided to join the Warriors in the summer after OKC failed to close out the series, he became one of the most villainous players in basketball.

After all, Durant had firmly established himself as one of the best scorers in league history and arguably the second-best player in the world behind LeBron James. And now, he would join a team that had just broken the NBA record for regular season wins and already rostered a two-time MVP in Stephen Curry.

But after nine years in Oklahoma City without a title and just one Finals appearance, Durant was determined to be a winner. Whether or not the public would find sufficient merit in Durant winning with a super team, he understood that he would face plenty of backlash.

Durant told Michael Lee of The Athletic that Durant understood he would face a similar level of criticism that LeBron James endured when he went to Miami in 2010:

“I came here knowing for a fact, that every media member, every fan was going to call me every name in the book for however long I was here and I was going to take the brunt of everything. I knew coming here,” Durant said. “But I wanted to be a part of this so bad, I didn’t give a fuck. Same with LeBron. He took all of that heat, no matter what.”

Durant will face another massive decision this summer, as he will once again be an unrestricted free agent.