Charles Barkley is just one of many former players, and analysts, who are ripping Kevin Durant for his decision to join forces with the Golden State Warriors. Barkley asserted that KD is simply jumping on the Warriors' "gravy train" and is trying to cheat his way to a championship.
Before we get into Barkley's comments, it's worth noting that this is the same guy who forced his way out of Philadelphia to team up with a formidable Suns' roster that was on the cusp of a championship run in 1992.
It's also worth mentioning that this is the same guy who forced another trade to Houston a few years later in order to team up with Clyde Drexler and Hakeem Olajuwon, a duo that was coming off of back-to-back championships.
That's the guy who is "disappointed" in Kevin Durant for exercising his right to sign with whatever team he wanted in order to get an NBA championship.
"I was disappointed. I was disappointed like I was disappointed when LeBron went to Miami," Barkley said on ESPN Radio's Mike and Mike on Wednesday. "Kevin is a terrific player, he's a good kid. But just disappointed with the fact that he weakened another team and he's gonna kind of gravy train on a terrific Warriors team. Just disappointed from a competitive standpoint. Because just like it meant more to LeBron to win one in Cleveland, it would mean more to Kevin to win one in Oklahoma than it would be in Golden State."
"We develop this thing where you keep telling these guys, 'Hey man, if you don't win a championship you're a bum.' I don't feel like a bum," he said. "I'm pretty sure Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone and John Stockton -- we think we're pretty damn good. We could have played with some of those other guys and kind of cheated our way to a championship. But there is this thing that started with this new generation where these guys feel so much pressure. Everybody wants to win.
"I'm a big Chris Paul fan. I'm sure Chris Paul wants to win a championship. And he could, when his contract is up, go join one of these super teams and get a championship. But it won't be the same as leading your team where you're the bus driver instead of the bus rider."
Additionally, the Round Mound of Rebound thinks the forming of these "super teams" is going to kill the NBA within the next few seasons. I enjoy Charles Barkley on the NBA on TNT but the comments that he's made in regards to Kevin Durant's FREE AGENCY decision just seem way off base.
"I mean, that's where we're going. We're going to kill the golden goose. Everybody's going to be making a lot of money, but other than five teams we're going to be putting a shabby product out there. That's what's going to kill the NBA in the next few years in my opinion."
[Via]