Warriors take sly dig at Kevin Durant by excluding him from Franchise of the Decade photos

The Golden State Warriors were named as the ‘Franchise of the Decade’ across all professional sports teams by the Sports Business Journal. While the Warriors may not have played like a ‘Franchise of the Decade’ team this season, they did celebrate with some fanfare after the announcement. A slideshow of some of the Warriors' most memorable moments of the decade was posted on Twitter by the Golden State Warriors’ official Twitter account. A closer look at the slideshow reveals one key omission.

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Two-time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant left out by Warriors

Kevin Durant was the NBA’s most coveted free agent in 2016. “Strength in numbers” prompted Kevin Durant to sign for the Golden State Warriors. While he did win two NBA championships during his time with the Warriors, they didn’t exactly part in the best of ways. The Warriors have suffered in his absence this year, with the effect of Kevin Durant’s departure being magnified by the injuries to Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. The Warriors clearly did not take Kevin Durant’s departure too well as he was the key absentee in the Warrior’s celebratory slideshow. 

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The likes of Anthony Morrow, Monta Ellis, Zaza Pachulia, Jarrett Jack and Eric Paschall also featured in the 22-photo slideshow. Kevin Durant was named as the MVP in two of the Warriors’ three Championship finals this decade. Whether his omission was an innocent mistake or a deliberate, albeit, subtle dig at Kevin Durant is open to speculation. What is not, however, is the fact that the Warriors’ failure to replace the imposing presence of Kevin Durant on the court has not worked out for the ‘Franchise of the Decade’.

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Former LA Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell was the man who was chosen to fill Kevin Durant’s shoes at the newly-opened Chase Center. While the 23-year-old has done well in the absence of Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, the Warriors have still struggled to register a decent run of victories in the NBA this season. The Warriors' next NBA game will see them face off against the Portland Trail Blazers on Wednesday night. 

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