Another day, another 237 conspiracy theories purporting to indicate Kevin Durant’s desire to leave the Warriors after this season.
Today’s pick of the litter is a comment made by Durant’s brother on an Instagram post that is being taken as a sign KD will set up shop ABH (Anywhere But Here) next summer.
Here’s the would-be smoking post from a certain tdurant, juxtaposed against a photo of the Warriors showing off their rings before Tuesday night’s season opener.
“Yessir, brother!!!! Filling the hand up before we get outta here!”
Oh man… @KDTrey5 brother’s comment on his picture this morning
pic.twitter.com/knjyZ6uUoT
— HoopsWill (@HoopsWill) October 17, 2018
So it’s final, then.
If only. The internet has, is, and will for the next nine months thrum with speculation that Durant will thank and excuse the Warriors next summer and find a team he can lead and mold in his own image. Part of the speculation centers on the fact that he signed a one-year deal with a one-year player option with the Warriors in July, giving himself maximum flexibility. And part of the speculation is rabid fans doing what rabid fans do.
One of the commenters on the post heard ’round the world concluded, “He’s outta there lml.”
Another, with the handle of Russell Westgoat, figured it this way: “KD is coming back 100 percent.”
A third tabulated the wishes and rumors in the thread and wound up “seeing mostly Thunder, Knick and Wizard predictions.”
And just to bring the madness full circle, Durant’s brother issued what appeared to be a repudiation of his comment that started the rumorstorm in the first place.
Tony Durant's statement regarding what this comment meant pic.twitter.com/PMPHfBGXjs
— Sherwob Holmes (@World_Wide_Wob) October 17, 2018
It’s going to be a long season. In some respects, it already has.