Kevin Durant's decision to sign with the Golden State Warriors in the 2016 offseason has been debated and deconstructed for nearly two years. Was he a coward for doing so right after Oklahoma City had Golden State on the ropes? Is his decision justified now that he's won a ring and a Finals MVP?
These questions will be hotly debated in barbershops for years, perhaps decades, and the story of Durant's transition has been covered ad nauseam. But did you know NBA veteran guard Jarrett Jack played a big role in Durant's decision?
In a new profile on Bleacher Report, writer Yaron Weitzman details Jack's involvement. Jack and Durant had known each other since their childhood days in the DMV area, and Durant, knowing Jack had played with the Warriors in 2012-13, called Jack for advice when he was making his free-agency decision.
Jack knew something was out of the ordinary when Durant sent him a text that sounded serious: "Can you talk real quick?"
On the phone, Durant asked Jack, "What's Steph like?"
"J-Jack was probably the first guy I called," Durant recalled. "Because it's different when you talk to coaches or guys that have just been around. Jarrett was on the floor with them when they started to make their turn. I knew he was someone I could trust, someone who understands the player's perspective."
Jack encouraged him to consider Golden State.
"You're a great dude," Jack said, according to Weitzman. "They're a bunch of great dudes. You'd like it a lot."
Jack is currently playing for the Knicks, his eighth NBA team. Along the way, he's met a ton of people, as B/R detailed with an incredible quote from Michael Beasley.
"Like, you go over to his house and 2 Chainz will be there, and it's like, 'Bro, who the f*ck are you?'" said Beasley, a fellow Knick, fellow DMV native, and longtime friend of Jack.
Jack is playing 25.6 minutes and averaging 7.6 points per game this season.
