THE NEW GUY Kevin Durant takes a shot against the San Antonio Spurs DEN STATE GOLD WAR 1 80
Fans were quiet as they shuffled out of Oracle Arena in Oakland California The San Antonio Spurs had just crushed Kevin Durant's Golden State Warriors 129 100 This was not how Durant's first game with his new team was supposed to go It was the first day of the 2016 2017 National Basketball Association NBA season The Spurs were a good team But most fans thought better the Warriors would be
In the 2015 2016 regular season the Warriors were by far the best team in the league They won their 73rd game on the last day of the season No NBA team had ever won as many games in a single season But the Cleveland Cavaliers beat them in the NBA Finals Golden State fans were ready to cheer for their new superstar Durant had played his entire NBA career with the Oklahoma City Thunder Warriors fans remembered that Durant was voted NBA Most Valuable Player MVP in 2013 2014 They knew he had played in seven NBA All Star Games They were thrilled by his 28 2 points per game in 2015 2016 third best in the NBA that year But they just wanted him to win a game with his new team The Warriors played again three days later This was how the 2016 2017 season was supposed to go Durant hit shots from all around the court against the New Orleans Pelicans Teammate Stephen Curry did the same But Pelicans star Anthony Davis scored 21 points close in the first half He kept the game
Durant kept sinking shots in the second half Golden State had a small lead with less than a minute to play in the game Davis stepped forward for a long shot But Durant was there He swatted the ball and took off with it down the court He stepped between two defenders for a layup The play sealed the victory for Golden State 122 114 Fans cheered the first of many wins for Durant and the Warriors in 2016 2017 It was going to be a great season Durant Keeps the ball away from New Orleans Pelicans player Buddy Hield
