Unfortunately for those rabid haters, KD paid them no attention as he balled out with comfort and confidence on the back of his decision.
The same situation transpired with Cousins’ move, but the mood surrounding it is interestingly different. Whereas KD’s move conveyed anger and animosity, Cousins’ move portrayed a sense of doom and gloom. Hopelessness reigned throughout the league when the announcement was made regarding the transaction. Fans of every other team questioned whether following the forthcoming season is worth it since they have an idea who’s going to come out as champion in the summer.
But it didn’t have to go this route. Cousins talked with other teams while in free agency before making the decision to head west. However, major factors complicated matters for his potential suitors, the most prevalent being his injury. Teams didn’t want to gamble on Cousins’ vulnerability when the situation arrives where he can play again. Plus, the amount of money offered to Cousins didn’t match his expectations. There’s only so much money a team can offer to a sidelined player before they feel they passed the limit. With all options out the window, he saw a chance to win a title with the Warriors and signed with them accordingly.
Golden State, a team with 4 All-NBA players and a serviceable sixth man, just got stronger by adding another huge name to the roster, thus making it harder for another team to try to stop them from capturing their third straight NBA title and fourth overall in the last 5 years.
What more does a team have to do to beat them? The Houston Rockets were on the verge of defeating them in last season’s Western Conference Finals. They signed players specifically to beat the Warriors, but they didn’t pull it off. On the heels of Houston’s failure, other teams have risen this year as possible contenders to overthrow Golden State from their coveted throne.
Milwaukee, Denver, Toronto, Philadelphia, Boston.
The list can go on.
But the question begs: can they defeat the star-studded Warriors in a 7-game series? It’s the inability to answer this question that prompts fans to spew hate to the blue-and-gold-donned players as they know they’re that good.
And though negativity will inevitably be said by those bitter fans still reeling from the move, Cousins, like Durant from a couple of years ago, will largely ignore it. He’s in a championship team wholly conscious of their time of being a dynasty. He doesn’t need to step up to be the number one guy of the team. There are people ahead of him in the totem pole who can fulfill those duties for him. He’s in a new chapter of his life. All he can do is sit back, do his job, and cruise his way onto potentially capturing his first ever championship. Surely, he’ll have no problem doing that; but what of the rest of the league?
