My first article for Odyssey was about Kevin Durant and why he should stay in OKC. Well, the news is out and he has gone on to play for none other than the Golden State Warriors. Many sports reporters had reactions, fans had their reactions, and now it is time for me to write about the reaction I had to the biggest NBA free agency story of 2016.

In a word, disbelief. That emotion was all I could feel as I saw the notification pop up across the middle of my smartphone’s lock screen. I was sitting in a Cheddar’s, looking over the menu for something to eat, and then all of a sudden the news was out. Kevin Durant decided that he was going to take his talents to Golden State. For casual fans of the game that tend to only watch the playoffs, this is not that big of a deal. Casual fans just care to see the great teams at the end of year playing each other, and I respect that because I do the SAME with baseball. But for hardcore basketball followers that stick with their teams through the wins and losses, this is a huge move. This is because the championship is almost already decided before the season has even begun and makes the NBA no fun for the fans of teams with small markets. The Cavs and Warriors are going to carry some of the highest payrolls in basketball next year, and their win-loss records are going to show that. With the salary cap increases and super teams, championships can almost be bought now. This move by Kevin Durant further proves that championships in the NBA are being bought by all of the bigger market teams, and it is a shame for all of the true fans out there.

After I was finished feeling the disbelief, I realized just how “weak” of a move this was by Durant (as Stephen A. Smith would say.) To me, this move would have been weak regardless of whether or not the Golden State Warriors had defeated Durant’s team in the playoffs. It is clear to me that Durant is simply going for a ring and nothing else. He is going to a team with 3 all stars and the reigning MVP in the starting lineup. Sure, he is going to be the best player on the team, but that doesn’t excuse the fact that he left a team that was also a title contender to simply hop on the Golden State bandwagon. “The Decision” by LeBron was considered a weak move at the time, but honestly, this may be the worst move in the history of the NBA.