Warriors Exec Board Member Jerry West "tallied another career milestone" by "convincing" F Kevin Durant to sign a two-year, $54.3M deal with the team, according to Bill Disbrow of the S.F. CHRONICLE. West reportedly called Durant on Saturday night and "explained to him how difficult it can be to repeatedly fall short of winning the title as an all-time great player." West pitched the Warriors' lineup "as Durant’s easiest path to a title." Durant "hasn’t yet said how big of an influence that conversation was on his decision to sign with Golden State, but social media is already labeling Jerry West as the closer in the deal" (SFGATE.com, 7/4). San Jose Mercury News columnist Tim Kawakami said it "shows you kind of the presence that Jerry West has in the league that Kevin Durant appreciates it, that he would talk to him and also, in my mind, that he was trying to convince himself to go to the Warriors.” Kawakami called West “one of the great closers in all of sports, and this might cement his reputation as the best closer” (“Sports Talk Live,” CSN Bay Area, 7/4). ESPN's Mike Greenberg: "West as a closer is unbelievable.” ESPN's Mike Golic: “He closed on Shaq coming to L.A. from Orlando, helped close on Kevin Durant" ("Mike & Mike," ESPN Radio, 7/5).
INSIDE THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS: USA TODAY's Sam Amick reports West's phone conversation "lasted approximately 30 minutes with Durant on Saturday." West "never once told Durant that he should sign with the Warriors," but rather "discussed what was best for his growth and happiness as a player." The Warriors' official meeting with Durant on Friday "lasted for a little more than two hours." Management and the coaching staff "took center stage" during the first hour, with Durant "quietly listening for most of the time." Warriors GM Bob Myers, coach Steve Kerr and co-Exec Chair & CEO Joe Lacob "painted a picture of what Durant could expect and how they’d try to take over the NBA in years to come." The second hour of the meeting "was key," as Warriors G Stephen Curry, G Klay Thompson, F Draymond Green and F Andre Iguodala "had a players-only meeting of their own that also appears to have played a pivotal part" (USA TODAY, 7/5). THE UNDEFEATED's Marc Spears reported Curry on Friday night after the meeting "felt it necessary to send Durant a message ... to reassure him about his commitment" to wanting Durant on the team. A source said that Curry in the text said that he "could care less about who is the face of the franchise, who gets the most recognition or who sells the most shoes" (THEUNDEFEATED.com, 7/4).
ROAD PAVED YEARS AGO: The WALL STREET JOURNAL's Ben Cohen writes Warriors execs "made a series of subtle moves that positioned them to lure Durant long before they could formally woo him." Their team had "become the NBA’s most attractive destination" and they had "developed an organizational culture that was appealing to free agents, embraced a style of basketball that was irresistible to almost anyone and, most important, they won" (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/5). In San Jose, Tim Kawakami writes Lacob and Myers for at least two years "plotted and planned and hoped and juggled salaries and, yes, believed that the Warriors could land Kevin Durant to create an ultimate NBA dynasty" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/5). Kawakami also wrote Lacob is "becoming the new" Eddie DeBartolo Jr. There are "many more titles to be won before the Lacob/[Warriors co-Owner Peter] Guber Warriors can be truly comparable to the five-trophy 49ers Dynasty -- then everybody else can contemplate it, too." Durant’s arrival is the "loudest crackle and bang to signify it." Kawakami: "Don’t get stuck on what you hear or see from them on camera or on speaking panels, look at what they’re doing, look at the rebuild of the Warriors franchise, look at what they inherited and look at what they have now" (MERCURYNEWS.com, 7/4). In S.F., Scott Ostler calls Lacob a "genius" and wrote the signing of Durant is the "greatest coup in the NBA" since LeBron James left the Cavaliers for the Heat in '10 (S.F. CHRONICLE, 7/5).
SQUAD UP: In San Jose, Mark Purdy writes the Warriors are going to be a "must-see team next season" after signing Durant. They are also "going to be a must-win-the-championship-or-else team," and that is going to be "very interesting." This season is "not going to have the same wow-how-much-fun factor as the past few seasons." But the subtext and theme music is "going to be about whether this really is going to work out in May and June." Purdy: "I applaud the Warriors' front office for taking that risk, I guess. But it will be intriguing to see how fans react if the machinery starts going a little sideways at certain junctures" (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/5). In Boston, Dan Shaughnessy writes the Warriors are the "new Basketball Beatles" (BOSTON GLOBE, 7/5). THE RINGER's Danny Chau wrote this is the Warriors' "moment of undeniability" (THERINGER.com, 7/4).
THE NEW EVIL EMPIRE: In San Jose, Marcus Thompson II writes the Warriors will be "one of the most hated teams in the NBA" this season (SAN JOSE MERCURY NEWS, 7/5). THE UNDEFEATED's Mike Wise writes the Warriors go from the "most likable team in modern history to the guys who got their friends to play with them so they could hold the court until dusk." Wise: "Other than their fan base and people who like to see stars dwarf little people, no one wants to see someone win every year. ... I feel like we lost the ethos of what the Warriors represented on Monday in some hard to explain, fanboy way" (THEUNDEFEATED.com, 7/5).
UGLY FALLOUT? In N.Y., Frank Isola writes the fallout from Durant's decision "will be minimal." His "pristine image will take a hit," but his move west makes the Warriors the "must-see team of the NBA." It "stinks for small markets like OKC, but a super team is good business for the league" (N.Y. DAILY NEWS, 7/5). FOXSPORTS.com's Dieter Kurtenbach wrote the NBA "now has the singular, unifying villain it needs." The public's reaction to Durant's move "was quick and harsh -- a predictable outcome" -- and the NBA "had to love it." Kurtenbach: "The league wants parity, but more than that, it wants intriguing storylines. This is entertainment, above all. But in this cynical world, it's really hard to sell a hero" (FOXSPORTS.com, 7/4).
