Kevin Durant feels 2017 NBA Finals matchup between Warriors and Cavs was “the peak of basketball”
Former champion Kevin Durant looked back at his first championship win from the Warriors vs Cavaliers finals in 2017.
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Kevin Durant called the Warriors vs Cavs finals 'peak of basketball'
Kevin Durant was just one of the many superstars on the Golden State Warriors roster back in 2017. The team was once getting recognized as the greatest team of all time considering their winning record. But things were taken to the next level when the team made it to the finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Looking back, KD had high praise for the competition.
The Cavs at the time were led by the all-time leading scorer LeBron James. The ‘King’ was partnered with superstars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love. Despite the Kevin Durant-led Warriors being named the best team, their opponents were nothing less. During his appearance on the Out the Mud podcast, Durant talked about the significance of both teams.
I think that was the peak of basketball in the league at the time. You had all that talent on one court at the highest stage in the finals.
Kevin Durant said
James and Irving were thriving as a duo becoming unstoppable offensively. KD admitted that the Warriors had to be ‘on point’ to face the star-studded team. Considering this with the opponents being Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and himself, KD was right, to say the least. The matchup between the two teams was probably the best rivalry of the league in recent times.
The peak of basketball?
— Out The Mud Podcast (@OutTheMudTL) January 19, 2025
KD looks back at the Warriors vs. Cavs era 🗣️ pic.twitter.com/UlifM6bSbg
In 2017, the Warriors managed to defeat the Cavs 4-1 but that was just a part of it. After the Cavs ruined the Warriors’ season the previous year, Durant’s side won two straight and forced LeBron James to exit Cleveland.
The Warriors knew they would win the 2017 championship after Christmas Day
In 2016, the Warriors arguably had the best regular season in the history of the NBA. The team broke the Chicago Bulls’ record and finished the season with 73-9. But the team faced a heartbreak, losing to the Cavs in the finals. And while Kevin Durant joined the team for the next season, the Cavs were still a problem.
The two teams matched up on Christmas Day 2016 in an epic battle for the ages. The Cavs took the one-point win but that decided the Warriors’ future in the season. Back in March, Draymond Green during his podcast, revealed that after the loss Durant ensured Curry of their success.
I remember after the game Kevin telling Steph like, ‘Yo, you don’t have to worry about me. I’m gonna score basketball. Do what you all do’…That unlocked Steph. That unlocked Kevin. Once that happened it was just a matter of time of us like ‘We know we winning the championship’.
Draymond Green said.
According to Green, Durant’s addition was strange as the roles were already established on the roster. However, Durant’s conversation with Curry was the turning point for the team’s chemistry. Green’s perspective seems accurate as after 2017 the team won three back-to-back championships.
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Satvika Deshpande
(397 Articles Published)