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OAKLAND — Though many spend weekends in New York to probe its fascinations as mentioned in songs by the likes of Billie Holiday, Frank Sinatra, Billy Joel and, more recently, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys, the Warriors are there for more pertinent reasons.
One, there are two basketball games to play.
And, two, they’ll get an up-close look at NYC’s pitch to Kevin Durant.
One of the loudest and most persistent whisper campaigns around the NBA these days ponders scenarios in which Durant becomes a free agent next July and chooses New York as his next destination. That he is going specifically to the Knicks.
It’s a plausible possibility, folks. Furthermore, folks in New York already are doing their part to recruit the man who was voted MVP of the last two NBA Finals.
[RELATED: Warriors legend wants KD to stay]A billboard featuring Durant and current Knicks star Kristaps Porzingis went up near Madison Square Garden on Thursday morning and will greet the Warriors upon their early evening arrival. It asks a question: “Can You Make NY Sports Great Again?” It adds hashtags: #easymoneysniper (a reference to Durant’s Instagram account) and #KDNY2019. In the billboard, Durant is holding the Larry O’Brien Trophy, with which he has become familiar as a member of the Warriors.
It’s not particularly clever, but it might not have to be. Besides, reinforcements to this recruiting war are sure to follow.
So, why would Durant even think about going to the Knicks?
To begin with, it’s New York. Most every athlete on earth dreams of excelling on the biggest stage in America, and some crave the attention and adulation that comes with actually representing the Yankees, Giants or Knicks.
Though Durant isn’t eager to chase glory for the sake of glorification, there is a part of him that enjoys expedition. Remember how he rode BART shortly after arriving in the Bay Area? Went with a bunch of his teammates to a ping-pong bar?
Look, Durant grew up in the Washington, D.C. area but, given his choice of colleges, decided to attend the University of Texas. After one year in Austin, Durant was drafted by the SuperSonics and spent one year in Seattle before the franchise relocated to Oklahoma City.
[RATTO: Durant should shun the Knicks]He met with six teams in the summer of 2016 before choosing the Warriors. He liked their recruiting pitch, yes, but he was persuaded by the vibe. Durant felt most comfortable with the delegation that met with him in The Hamptons.
Which brings us back to New York and the Knicks. Coach David Fizdale is, according to references, one of the most charismatic dudes on any sideline, in any American sport. He also knows hoops. One factor in his hiring is his ability to connect.
Durant’s agent and business partner, Rich Kleiman, grew up in New York and is an unabashed Knicks fan. He has said he’d like to be in a decision-making capacity for the franchise. This might or might not matter, but it can’t be dismissed.
Yet the greatest appeal might be to Durant’s own curiosity. He left OKC in part because there was no more mystery, no more stones to turn over. He has come to know and appreciate the Warriors’ culture. As he told me last year, this feels like a place you “graduate to” after experiencing other franchises.
That doesn’t necessarily satisfy Durant’s considerable curiosity.
Even if he never seriously considers New York, there is a part of him that will wonder. What would it be like to win there? Is it possible to go to one of the league’s most troubled franchises, with perpetually inept ownership, and be the centerpiece of a turnaround? How impressive would it be to do what most say can’t be done?
Durant doesn’t need New York, but New York needs him. This could be a problem for the Warriors, because they can’t say that with similar conviction.
So, this will be an intriguing weekend for Durant and for Knicks fans such as Spike Lee. Durant is looking forward to it.
“Being in New York City, for one, is always a good place to be,” he said late Wednesday night. “Playing in Madison Square and playing in Barclays (home of the Brooklyn Nets), the energy is always amazing in those buildings.”
There is no place like MSG. Even Michael Almighty Jordan, the Saint of Chicago, wouldn’t argue that. So this weekend is, for the Warriors, not only a chance to pick up a couple easy wins but also get a peek at what looms next summer.
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