You don't really hear it brought up too much anymore—Cavaliers fans seem to be over it now that they've finally got an NBA title—but LeBron James' decision to join the Miami Heat in 2010 will always be a major part of his legacy. When he eventually retires, there are going to be people who still knock him for "The Decision" and refuse to mention him in the same breath as Michael Jordan because of it.
But if what Kevin Durant told Bleacher Report Magazine's Howard Beck recently is true, the bold move LeBron made is going to go down as a defining moment not just in LeBron's career but in NBA history as well. In KD's mind, it served as the moment when it became okay for superstar athletes to form "superteams" like the Heat and Warriors through free agency.
"He paved the way," KD said of LeBron going to South Beach. "As time goes on, and the changes start to become normal, people will start looking at it as normal. I hope and pray that they make a decision that’s best for them, and nobody else..."
This trend may be not be something you want to become "normal," but KD continued to make his case for signing with the Warriors last summer while speaking with B/R. "That’s what free agency is about—doing what you want to do," he said. "I commend LeBron. I commend LaMarcus Aldridge [going to San Antonio]. I commend guys that stay, because they did what they wanted to do. That’s the power of free agency."
While the situations aren't exactly the same, if there's one thing you should take away from these quotes if you're mad at KD—especially those of you in and around Oklahoma City—it's that Durant said LeBron "paved the way." Maybe that also means that he paved the way for an eventual return to the Thunder? Guess we'll have to wait and see on that one, but it could potentially be a silver lining for OKC fans.
