Lakers legend, NBA logo, former Lakers GM, and current Warriors’ executive board member Jerry West took issue with NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s comments regarding Kevin Durant joining the Golden State Warriors. In case you missed it, Silver said that he believes that “super teams” such as the one in Golden State are “bad for the league,” and said that he was looking at options to make “corrections” so that what Durant did won’t continue to happen.
The Logo went on “The TK Show” with Tim Kawakami, and said that he thinks Silver is being unfair (H/t Zach Harper of CBSSports):
“It’s sour grapes,” West said. “We signed Shaquille O’Neal and it wasn’t as big an uproar as this. Listen, the owners make the rules. They negotiate with the players. And for them to say something like that, to me it’s wrong on their part. The commissioner said something like that and I called him about it. I told him I didn’t think the comment was fair. It’s not fair to Kevin. It’s not fair to the Warriors. It’s not fair to any team going forward who will sign a free agent of this stature.
“The players bargained for this. They have a chance to go play where they want to. I only wish I had that opportunity in my career and I’m sure a lot of other people felt the same way.”
While you can see where Silver is coming from, it’s hard to argue with West on this one. If Kevin Durant wants to join the Warriors, he can — that’s his right as a player.
You don’t have to like it, but KD can do what he wants. Furthermore, it’s an overreaction on Silver’s part to say that the system is broken based on this one signing; it’s unlikely that free agents of Durant’s magnitude continue to join teams of the Warriors’ level of dominance. Let’s not go crazy unless this becomes a regular thing, Adam.
