Rick Barry doesn’t understand why Kevin Durant left Warriors for Nets originally appeared on nbcsportsbayarea.com
Warriors legend Rick Barry isn’t upset with Kevin Durant for his decision to leave Golden State for Brooklyn. He’s just a little confused.
“I’m hoping someday [Durant]’s gonna come forward and actually explain why it is he made the decision to leave because personally, I can’t figure out what reasons would justify wanting to leave the situation that he’s in,” Barry told TMZ Sports.
“It’s such an incredible opportunity to be one of the greatest teams in the history of your sport,” Barry continued. “You have great teammates who can help you to achieve the goal of winning more championships and not have to carry the whole load yourself, be in a new arena that’s gonna be fantastic, with great fans. So it’s hard for me to conceive of why he wanted to leave.”
Still, Barry isn’t letting his confusion get in the way of recognizing the totality of Durant’s contributions in a Warriors uniform, which he insisted are worthy of having his jersey retired, albeit unofficially.
“I mean, heck, if he hadn’t gotten hurt or been injured, he could have easily maybe been the three-time (Finals) MVP of a world championship team,” Barry argued.
[RELATED: Why Hardaway loves Lacob’s decision about Durant’s No. 35]
Durant is expected to miss all of next season while recovering from a ruptured Achilles, but Barry is looking forward to seeing him back on the court and will cheer for him when that time comes — that is, unless he’s facing Golden State.
“I wish him all the best but I will root against him when he plays against the Warriors when he comes back from his injury,” Barry said. “So sorry for your injury and we’ll pray for you that you will have a full and speedy recovery, and I look forward to watching you perform in the future.”
