Originally Posted by
Sujaguar00
The vitriol spewed when LeBron left Cleveland was over the top. Burning jerseys and saying he betrayed the city, only to have him return and the same fans fawn over him. Sports bring out the worst in people (see: Katrina references from other fan bases), but I don't think Utah has the history of losing that makes Cleveland fans so desperate for a winner. Hayward will be praised for making the right basketball decision because Utah won't contend against the Spurs/Warriors/Rockets (and maybe a healthy Clippers team) as currently constituted. Unfortunately, I don't think Hayward moves the needle for Boston into Elite team category unless a few other things happen.
Re: Durant - Cowardly is a strong word, but fan is short for fanatic. If you're not a fan of the Warriors (and of course I am not), the last thing you want to see is for that team to improve. The icing is it simultaneously weakened the team that nearly beat them last year.
Winning championships in the NBA is difficult given health, coaching, roster and luck. Players of Durant's caliber feel pressure to win rings as validation of how good they are. If he stays and doesn't win one, it would be used against him. If he leaves in an attempt to win one, he gets ridiculed. I'm not saying deciding to join the team you lost to the previous year doesn't deserve criticism, but it wasn't cowardly.
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