Cam, Peyton, Levi’s, Super Bowl 50. All enormous names for the biggest sporting spectacle in the United States, which will undoubtedly be the highest rated event of the year.
But the real show takes place Saturday night at Oracle Arena as the Golden State Warriors host the Oklahoma City Thunder, or in other words, The Durant Bowl.
Stephen Curry vs. Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant rumors galore, and Harrison Barnes dealing with the distraction is all on tap in the basketball arena the Warriors fans deem as Roaracle. On that night, it’s going to live up to its name. Here are some storylines to keep your eyes on.
More Legitimate Competition
The Cleveland Cavaliers entered Oakland, with a healthy squad, on Christmas Day and yet again were handed a loss. That match-up was highly anticipated and despite the low score, the battle lived up to what was expected. Neither team shot the ball particularly well, but the Dubs were able to escape with a four-point victory. The Warriors also embarrassed them in Cleveland in what might have been the ugliest game in LeBron James’ career.
The San Antonio Spurs came to the Bay Area just a few weeks ago in what were the two best teams ever (by record) facing each other in January. Big names galore in this one as well with All-Star starter Kawhi Leonard and newly acquired LaMarcus Aldridge hitting town, but Golden State ultimately was too much to handle for the Spurs dynasty. San Antonio lost by 30 points.
The Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, and Chicago Bulls have all been swept by Golden State. These Warriors truly live up to their name: they’re tough. With that, a tough task is at hand when the Thunder come storming into Oakland on Saturday night for their first match-up of the season.
The “Call Out”
Stephen Curry had fun with the media and said that this weekend would be good for him because he would get a win and a win in reference to the Warriors beating the Thunder on Saturday and the Panthers beating the Broncos on Sunday in the Super Bowl. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant didn’t take too kindly to that.
Last season at Oracle, Kevin Durant was on a tear and scored 30 points in 18 minutes in the first half before hurting his leg. He didn’t play in the second half and the Thunder lost. They ultimately lost the season series 1-3. The lone OKC win was a Russell Westbrook game winner. One of the Golden State wins came on an Andre Iguodala game-winner at the buzzer. Both teams have dealt with their share of heartbreak.
Curry isn’t one to talk down on other teams and I don’t think he meant it the way the media is portraying it to be. He was having some fun with the event, and like Durant said, what else do you expect him to say? Three out of the four biggest names in the NBA are playing in this game. Look for Curry, Durant, and Westbrook to all put on one hell of a show.
And Finally — KD and the Warriors
Just a few days ago, Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports wrote a column on how Durant joining the Warriors this offseason could be a legitimate possibility. If Durant does end up joining the Dubs, it would mean the end of Harrison Barnes’ tenure with the team. Durant obviously avoided the topic and said he’ll do what he can to focus solely on this season and Barnes did basically the same thing. KD has stated that his hometown Washington Wizards have a ‘disrespectful’ fan base, it might come down to a virtual two-team race: the Thunder and the Warriors.
Durant gets a chance to play with another superstar point guard in Curry, who’s different from Westbrook in many ways. Curry likes to move without the ball, pull-up from the logo, and destroy his opposition with a smile on his face. Westbrook’s demeanor differs; he wants to dunk the ball on anyone’s head, rack up as many stats as possible, and make you feel bad about even trying to defend him. While Westbrook is a top five player in the NBA in his own right, Curry is the best in the world as of this season. If Westbrook and Durant seem scary now, imagine Curry and Durant. With Klay Thompson and Draymond Green. Now, that’s terrifying for anyone to have to deal with.
It’ll be in the back of everyone’s mind Saturday night. What would Durant look like in this jersey? How would he fit in with this team? Warrior fans will watch KD with fear yet awe, drooling over the fact that he can indeed become a member of the best team in the league for the 2016-17 season.