IMAN Shumpert’s criticism of Kevin Durant’s 2016 move to the Golden State Warriors quickly turned into a social-media exchange after Durant briefly fired back at the former Cleveland Cavaliers guard.
During an appearance on Gil’s Arena, Shumpert blamed Durant for costing him two additional NBA championships, pointing to the Warriors’ decision to add the superstar after Cleveland’s historic 2016 Finals comeback.
“You the reason I missed out on two rings, dog. It was your fault,” Shumpert said.
He also questioned why Durant joined a Warriors team already built around Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.
“You went and joined some guys that didn’t need you,” Shumpert added.
Durant appeared to respond on social media shortly afterward.
“Toughen up shorty. Thanks for taking care of that man Gil, he was dead in the water,” said KD.
The response was later deleted, but its brief appearance added another layer to what had initially been Shumpert revisiting one of the most consequential moves of the NBA’s recent history.
Shumpert was part of the Cavaliers team that erased a 3-1 deficit against the 73-win Warriors in the 2016 NBA Finals, delivering Cleveland its first championship.
Golden State responded that offseason by signing Durant, who had just seen his Oklahoma City Thunder eliminated by the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals.
With Durant on board, Golden State returned to the Finals and defeated Cleveland in back-to-back years in 2017 and 2018, with Durant winning Finals MVP in both series.
Shumpert remained with Cleveland for those two seasons before later playing for the Sacramento Kings, Houston Rockets and Brooklyn Nets.
His claim that Durant cost him two additional championships is ultimately hypothetical, since there is no way to know what would have happened in the 2017 and 2018 Finals without Durant. The Warriors had already established themselves as a championship-level team before adding him, including their 2016 Finals appearance.
Still, the exchange shows how much the Warriors’ 2016 decision continues to resonate with members of the Cavaliers team that experienced the rivalry firsthand.
Shumpert has now put his view on record, while Durant’s deleted response brought a direct reply from the player at the center of the controversy.
Nearly a decade later, the 2016 Warriors-Cavaliers rivalry is still producing new chapters this time on social media. (Jesus Nathaniel Valdez)
