Dear Kevin: An open letter to the new Warrior
Kevin Durant killed the hearts of Oklahoma City; it’s taken a week for the commotion to cease.
Dear Kevin Durant,
I’m just another Thunder fan who has a lot to say about your recent departure from the Oklahoma City Thunder. Even though I—like most fans—am disappointed with your decision, I know it wasn’t an easy one for you.
I heard the police had to increase their presence around your home because of threats and vandalism. It breaks my heart to see people in our state behave this way. I think they’ve forgotten you’re a human being. A human being who never promised to save the world, become the face of this city, or retire in Bricktown. You just came here to play basketball.
But see, you did so much more than that. You gave everything to our state. From the million dollars you selflessly handed over after the tornadoes in Moore to your support of homeless children in Oklahoma City, your impact on our community can’t be ignored.
When you moved here all those years ago, you may have wanted to simply play ball and make a name for yourself. Now that you’re leaving, you’ve done so much more.
You were a role model to children who have never been so close to a professional athlete. You were someone they could reach out to, look up to, and even watch in person. You were a towering, smiling, beacon of humbleness and perseverance.
You were our MVP.
And for some, you still are.
Don’t get me wrong—this stings. For many Thunder fans, the nausea associated with your departure is still very real. And, I get it.
Basketball is a business, just like any other. It has ups and downs, and change is in its blood. As fans, we know this. We expect trades, changes, and roster shake-ups. I just think this year is different because we didn’t expect the shake-up to include the blinding image of a Golden State Warriors jersey on our favorite son.
We know you aren’t from here. We know that Oklahoma gene isn’t really part of you. But after so many years, it kind of felt like you were one of us. And, that’s why this doesn’t make sense.
Because, here’s the thing—Oklahomans don’t give up when things get tough, even when what we want was so close before it was gone.
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In the blink of an eye, everything changes here. Picture this: a small business owner spends all of his money and youth building his company from the ground up. He finally affords to buy a building, he hires someone to work for him, and he starts to make a name for himself. He’s about to make it. Then, an Oklahoma summer destroys everything. He stands in the aftermath of a tornado, everything he’s worked for turned to rubble at his feet.
Does he leave? Does he pack up and take his dreams elsewhere?
Of course not. He’s an Oklahoman.
His neighbors arrive. They pick him up, they clean around him, and they help him rebuild. Before he knows it, that business he believed was forever gone is thriving.
That’s how we do it here. And I think that’s why it hurts so much that you aren’t the same way.
Maybe it’s our fault for turning you into the sort of community savior you were never intended to be. It’s entirely possible we held you to too high of a standard. You are only a few days older than me, and I can’t imagine the pressure of balancing all of that right now. You’re making important career decisions, and you’re only 27.
Or, maybe you just didn’t spend enough time in Oklahoma to be drawn in forever, like the rest of us. I’m sure the Bay Area has its own local charm, but do they have Big Truck Tacos, Cheever’s, Cuppies & Joe, The Mule, Roxy’s, the Saucee Sicilian? I could go on forever.
Did you forget to ride the water taxis down the Bricktown Canal and watch as the city’s historic buildings reflected in the water? You must’ve been too busy to fully enjoy an Oklahoma sunset. Perhaps you just couldn’t find the time to take a trip down to Paul’s Valley to enjoy the mountains, waterfalls, and time-stands-still peace. Clearly, you never sat outside of the Myriad Gardens on one of those days where you can practically smell the wheat and taste the rain.
Maybe, once you’ve won (or been close to winning, yet again) your championship in California, you’ll return to us. Maybe we’ll be worth returning to then. And maybe we’ll be ready to take you back.
Oklahoma will still be here, even though you’re not. I know it’s hard for some fans to understand that right now, but it’s the truth. I once heard someone claim you’re the most famous Oklahoman since Will Rogers.
I hope you remember that comparison when you lace up your shoes as a Warrior. I hope you never forget what you mean to this state, this city, and this franchise.
After the allure of the championship calls you back, we’ll be here. Bitter, but here.
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In the meantime, don’t worry about us. We know how to dust off, rebuild, and come back stronger.
Resiliency is in our bones. Hope is in our air. Faith is in our water.
We will still pack Chesapeake Stadium. The volume of Loud City will only increase. Our support for the Thunder will not waver.
Because we know what it means to Thunder Up, and we’ll be just fine.
PS—If your decision to leave causes a spiral that ends with Russell Westbrook being traded, all of this changes. That is a reality I am in no way prepared for right now.