The superstar alignment going down in Golden State is nothing new. The Lakers once went out and got a guy named Wilt Chamberlain to come to town, feting him at the Playboy Mansion on recruitment trips. So Kevin Durant’s decision follow a long line of these alliances, a famous recent example being LeBron James‘ decision to hit South Beach and join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, winning a couple of titles in the process.
It’s easy to find basketball people this morning who think James can counter Durant’s move by bringing his pal Wade to Cleveland, believing that in the so-called “arms race” of the off-season that luring Wade to Ohio is a counter attack against the Warriors MVP stacking. But Durant is 27 years old, with presumably his best years ahead of him. Wade is 34, still a force and a top NBA player, but not a bet on the future the way Durant is. Still Wade played in 74 games for the Heat last year, the most since 2010-11. He averaged 30.5 minutes per game. Durant played in just 72 Thunder games, averaging 35.8 minutes. Wade may not be the long bet that Durant is, but a Cleveland looking to repeat there are few better pieces they could acquire.
