A Golden Decision...

Life offers us only so many opportunities. There's that window from ages 31-50 to make your money so you can retire to the confines of the beach and see the world. Fellas, when you meet that special someone, that window is even shorter. Most businesses fail within the first 3 years because we never get into the black after spending so much on expenditures. Bottom line, is that when these doors open to do better for yourself, what becomes our rationale for either accepting them or rejecting them? Is it loyalty, fear of change, or the need for something greater that drives a person to take advantage of an opportunity.

That is what Kevin Durant did as he announced on the Players Tribune that he will sign with the Golden State Warriors after spending the first 9 years in Seattle then Oklahoma City when the franchise relocated. He won the 2014 NBA MVP and is one of the league's best shooters. He left an Oklahoma City team that came within a quarter of defeating the Warriors in the Western Conference Finals. There is vitriol on the Twitter-verse, calling Durant a "ring chaser" and what he did being worse than LeBron's "The Decision" to join the Miami Heat in 2010. However, there's an analogy that best describes what KD did. Maybe not on the same scale, but it's all the same.

I think of my father back in 1991. He was very successful as a Logistics Director at the U.S. Postal Service in Macon, Georgia. He was also a well-beloved associate pastor. He was given an opportunity to move his family to Washington DC for three times as much the money. Didn't give it a second thought about terms like loyalty and sticking to familiar territory. He did what was best for himself and his family, and we all prospered as a result.

I hear people say it now, "Jordan, Magic or Bird never left!" To that I have three reasons why: Chicago, LA, and Boston. It's kind of hard to leave those cities when you know they are destinations. Oh by the way, you all know that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar left Milwaukee for the confines of LA, so this has precedent. Only difference was that there was no Twitter-verse or Stephen A. Smiths hating on his every move.

Durant had to do what was best for him, he owes Oklahoma City nothing. The window opened up to go to Silicon Valley and he did what 99% of us would do. They say that 48% of people never leave their hometown. I say that those people are the ones who miss out on the best life has to offer. The worst thing a person can have in life is regret.

In Spirit vs. Truth

They say that rules are to be enforced by the letter of the law, yet we do 30 mph in a residential district and don't get a speeding ticket. We give one child who spills their juice on the carpet a mere "tsk, tsk", and the one who wrote their name in crayon all over the drywall gets put in timeout. Teachers, don't you sometimes let the A-plus student turn in their homework a day late yet give a "0" to the class clown if they do the same thing?

Rules are meant to keep order in society, to restrain those from doing harm to themselves or to others. We've seen rules get enforced differently in the gated communities as opposed to the Section 8 housing ghettos of America. There's a reason for that, and it's that same reason why Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green didn't get suspended for tonight's Game 4 against Oklahoma City for the infraction you see above.

Now, upon further review I also believed that he shouldn't be suspended for what he did. For those who have played basketball, you know all about the purpose of deceiving the officials into giving you a phantom foul. He purposely attempted to flail and in the process happened to make unfortunate contact with the Thunder's Steven Adams. NBA Vice President of Basketball Operations Kiki Vandeweghe presented his views on the matter yesterday. However, not everyone believed that was the real reason for not suspending Green.

Noted ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith stated that the main reason they should not suspend Green was the fact that it wouldn't be right to have the Warriors play at full strength. He argued that it had nothing to do with the league rules, but moreso about ensuring that the Western Conference Finals would be more entertaining with Green playing, and that it's not fair to the networks or the fans who pay outrageous ticket prices. Although he did bring up that the intent to hurt Adams was not there by the spirit of the law, the truth is that the focus of his rant was more about entertainment than enforcement.

This is where I strongly disagree with his reasoning. Yes, I agree that he should not be suspended, but the need for entertaining television should never be a factor when it comes to enforcing rules. The NBA has had a history of being accused of favoring certain teams (2002 Lakers) and poor officiating on the grandest stage only reinforces that notion. I remember the outcry when the Phoenix Suns had two major players suspended for leaving the bench in the 2007 Conference Finals against San Antonio, and I agreed with the ruling back then. If that is truly the league's reasoning (although they'll never state it) then they are setting up a bad precedent down the line. Even though the spirit of the law can be interpreted, it should never cloud the truth of doing the right thing, regardless of fan reaction.