Following Saturday night’s epic meltdown at the hands of the defending champion Golden State Warriors, the Oklahoma City Thunder find themselves traveling to the not-so-friendly confines of Oracle Arena in a do-or-die Game 7 with a trip to the NBA Finals on the line.
To say that this is the most-important game in the career of Kevin Durant would be an understatement. Not only this, it might very well represent his final game as a member of the Thunder.
More than that, it could come in a city that Durant might very well be calling him next season, Oakland.
We’ve read the reports. We’ve seen the stories. Should Durant leave the Thunder as a free agent this summer, Golden State is one of the few teams on his short list.
This is the backdrop to a series that started with the Thunder imposing their will against Golden State, taking a 3-1 lead into Game 5.
However, the past two games have been nothing short of disastrous for Durant and the Thunder, which has led to the team being put in an unenviable position heading into Monday night’s epic duel.
We can talk about Durant’s future in Oklahoma City when the season comes to an end. For the Thunder, that could very well be following Monday’s road game against a Warriors squad that’s won 93 percent of its home games under Steve Kerr.
It could realistically also end Durant’s career with the Thunder.
If the team were to come out on top Monday night and then handle the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA Finals, it would be hard for Durant to jump ship to another team, citing the need to win a title.
That narrative would be completely thrown out the window. How can a player insist that he’s better off attempting to win a title in another city when his current team is coming off a title?
Critics would see right through Durant’s strategy, coming to the all-too-real conclusion that endorsement opportunities and off-court earnings potential in a larger market were the sole forces driving his departure from Oklahoma City.
And that right there is the crux of the issue. It also has a direct impact on who and what the Thunder are going up against in Game 7.
Should Golden State handle business at home Monday and then take out the Cavaliers in the NBA Finals for a second consecutive season, any potential move from Durant to Northern California would be seen two ways.
First, he did in fact jump ship to join a serious title contender … a dynasty of sorts in Oakland.
Second, Durant’s decision would be seen as being less financially motivated than if he were to depart Oklahoma City after a title-winning season.
There are many different aspects we can look at heading into Game 7.
Can Golden State continue its history-breaking season?
Can it do so in front of what promises to be a lively atmosphere in an arena that boasts the best home-court advantage in the Association?
If so, will this lead to Durant following in Andre Iguodala’s footsteps?
Remember, the reigning NBA Finals MVP opted to come to Golden State following his Denver Nuggets loss to the then upstart Warriors in the 2013 NBA Playoffs.
Iggy’s primary reason for this was the atmosphere he noticed at Oracle during that series.
Four years later, and the Warriors’ fans could play a major role in the outcome of this summer’s Kevin Durant sweepstakes.
That would only happen should Golden State come out on top as heavy favorites in a do-or-die Game 7 outing against Durant’s Thunder on Memorial Day.
Add this to the list of subplots for what promises to be one of the best games in recent Association history.