How Tom Brady Almost Convinced Kevin Durant to Sign With the Celtics

Patriots QB Tom Brady almost convinced Kevin Durant to sign with the Celtics.

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Complex Original

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The Celtics are having a weird summer. First, they had eight picks in the NBA Draft in June, and it was quite underwhelming overall if you followed their fan base's utter confusion and anger for their selections. But the fans and organization were still in hopes to turn their perceived negative from Draft Night—starting with the No. 3 overall pick, mind you—into a positive by miraculously signing Kevin Durant in the free agent market. Many thought Durant wouldn't consider going to the bitter winter town of Boston, and they were absolutely right because he ultimately decided to stay in the Western Conference and sign with the Thunder team rival, the Warriors.

Interestingly enough, KD apparently came close to heading to the Northeast—not the Bay Area. Durant admitted to the Boston Herald he was actually ready to sign with the Celtics after their July 2 meeting in the Hamptons. That's because it took future NFL Hall of Famer Tom Brady, his favorite football star, to sit at the table with Celtics GM Danny Ainge, the team's ownership, and a few Celtics players to come close on a done deal to Boston. After selling KD on how neurotic Boston sports fans, Durant was apparently ready to sign on the dotted line for the Green.

Durant said, "I was ready to just say, 'All right. Let's go. I'm ready to go,' seeing Tom Brady there." He added, "Just seeing someone so successful at his craft and just a great ambassador for the game of football and the city of Boston, it was just great to be in the presence of greatness."

The 2014 NBA MVP knew that he had to remain unbiased about his decision of where he would take his talents next season. "But at the same time, I knew I couldn't let that distract me. But he was great. It was great to see him," he said.

For Celtics fans, that's gotta hurt. Or it may be some sort of consolation. After he made his decision, KD reportedly laid in bed for two straight days playing video games thinking about what the public would say or how people would react in the street like Charles Barkley and Reggie Miller. Perhaps he was thinking about Celtics fans more than the other fans he pissed off about heading to Golden State. Hey, it's the thought that counts.

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