Quis89
Ambassador
Hold up! Professional sports and employment are indeed the same thing. The NBA, NFL, NHL, MLB, WNBA, etcetera are all businesses and the players and coaches are
contracted employees.
Ok.
Okay, what if you get traded to the team that just beat you? Are you going to purposely sabotage the season with that team because you’re still ticked that they beat you or will you devote your time and effort to making your new team better?
He didn't get traded. He willingly chose to join the team that just came back from a 3-1 deficit against his former team. It's the age old, "If you can't beat em, join em". Which I'm simply not a fan of from a competitive lens. You're changing the argument to sabotage. If you're traded, you can't help that. But you CAN help the fact that you willingly went to join the team that you were unable to beat.
Every NBA team has been beaten by every other NBA team at some point. If you signed a contract to be with an organization for 8 years and then went on and gave that organization your all for those 8 years and then felt that your growth as a man and an athlete was not progressing, would you sign another contract with that team, knowing things will pretty much stay the same or would you opt to go to an organization where you can grow both as a man and as an athlete? Sure, there were other teams he could have joined, but clearly they were not the best choice for him and the one he chose clearly was because he is now a two-time NBA champion and a two-time Finals MVP.
Again, I'm just saying I'm not a fan of it. It's well within his rights to do whatever he pleases. I'm not even saying he should have stayed with OKC. I'm just saying of ALLLLLLL the teams he could have went to...he goes to the team that he was unable to overcome. It's weak, in my opinion. There's a reason everyone says that all roads lead to Golden State. That was being said prior to KD joining. So, if you know that...rather than proving the doubters wrong you decide to jump ship? That's cool and I'm happy for his success. Of course he was going to win a ring with that team. There isn't a team in the league with the level of talent on that roster. Golden State is fun to watch. I'm just personally not a fan of that move. The league I grew up on saw Tracy McGrady on Houston. Jordan was a Bull. Vince Carter was a Raptor. Kobe was a Laker. We had staples on teams. Iverson was a 76er. Granted several of them were traded or made moves later in their careers but I don't recall a premier player jumping ship in their prime to the best teams in the league at the time simply to say they won a ring. (Until KG went to Boston, maybe lol) So regardless of how it's explained or rationalized, I'll never cheer it on lol. There are a lot of incredible players who never won a ring simply because they didn't do what KD did. Of course, through no fault of their own. It's just weak to me.
But hey...it is what it is. Agree to disagree. My Pistons got the coach of the year last year in Doug Casey. I'm just focused on them rising now, lol. With Zaza, Robinson and Calderon signed, I'm hoping we can be formidable in the East. Now that Lebron's out West, it's anyones chance now.
But of course...all roads lead to Golden State smh.