Tuesday Bolts – 9.27.16
Shea Serrano of The Ringer: “There’s a natural inclination to say that Durant has been LeBron’s
nemesis for a while now because they’ve both been in the “Who’s the Best Player in the League?” conversation for so many years, but that’s inaccurate. There’s just never been enough pushback from Durant. They have played 16 times in the regular season and LeBron’s team has won 13 of those games. They’ve played five games in the playoffs (the 2012 Finals), and LeBron’s team won four of those. You can say that LeBron is Durant’s nemesis, but you can’t say that Durant is LeBron’s. So up to this point, Durant’s not been anyone’s nemesis. But now? Yes. Of course. 100 percent. He is a nemesis now. He’s Russy Westbrook’s nemesis. Kevin Durant is truly a villain now. I am so excited for Villain Durant.”
Anthony Slater of The Mercury News: “Venom likely awaits Durant in almost every opposing city this offseason. He gets a taste of it any time he opens social media these days. In a recent interview on HBO’s Any Given Wednesday, that backlash seemed to have formed a defiant edge in Durant as camped loomed. Maybe it did. But KD tried not to show it on Monday. He’s known to be moody with reporters, but at media day that mood was generally pleasant. He was gracious before and after his press conference and upbeat during it.”
Erik Horne: “Joffrey Lauvergne was playing a road game in Miami last season when he shared a moment with Floyd Mayweather. Two nights before, an errant elbow against Washington left the 6-foot-11, 220-pound Frenchman with a sinus wall fracture and a swollen purple bag under his right eye. Mayweather, the undefeated welterweight boxing champion, was sitting courtside in South Beach. He had to say something the second time he locked eyes with Lauvergne.”
Tonight! Down To Dunk live podcast at Anchor Down at 7:30. Be there.
Shaun Powell of NBA.com: “Westbrook doesn’t appear ready to give OKC a long-term commitment, and why should he? By keeping his options open until the summer of 2018, he can survey the scene and see if OKC is right for him. Undoubtedly, Westbrook is poised for an MVP-type season, but how deep can OKC go into the postseason? Also, can they add enough quality pieces in the next two years to convince Westbrook to sign yet another extension? It’s his team now, and the stage is set for him to put up massive numbers and possibly win the MVP. But if you asked Westbrook and the Thunder, they’d rather have kept Durant no matter how great this season will be for Westbrook.”
