The Golden State Warriors made the biggest noise in free agency this summer after acquiring Kevin Durant. While it generated huge buzz worldwide, NBA commissioner Adam Silver does not think forming a super team is good for the league in the long run.
The Warriors, who had a historic regular-season run last season with their 73-9 record, will be a heavy favorite to win the title next season. They kept their superstar trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green while adding Durant, a former Most Valuable Player, to their roster.
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Silver agrees that having one or two super teams in the league will be a television attraction, Yahoo Sports reported. However, the NBA commissioner denied that they liked Durant’s move to Golden State, saying that the former Oklahoma City Thunder superstar’s decision hurt the league’s competitive balance.
“I’ve read several stories suggesting that that’s something that the league wants, this notion of two super-teams, that it’s a huge television attraction,” Silver said. “I don’t think it’s good for the league, just to be really clear.”
Silver added that having a group of superstar does not guarantee a championship. He said that it is not interesting to see how Durant will affect Golden State’s team chemistry, which was one of the main reasons why they were able to dominate the regular season. They also went a win away from winning the title.
“We’ll see what happens in Golden State,” Silver added. “You had a great, great chemistry among a group of players and you’re adding another superstar to the mix, so it’ll be interesting to see what happens.”
James Harden takes swipe at Warriors
Meanwhile, Houston Rockets superstar James Harden is not also a fan of super teams. The high-scoring guard recently took a swipe at the Warriors, saying that he is not worried of Golden State as he is focused on helping his team improve next season.
“Obviously the Warriors are a really good team,” Harden said via USA Today. “But there’s only one basketball. You’ve got to figure it out.”
Rockets owner Leslie Alexander added fuel to the fire, saying that the Warriors still need to defend them next season. It is worth nothing that the Warriors eliminated the Rockets in the last two playoffs – during the first round of the 2016 NBA Playoffs and the 2015 Western Conference Finals.
Watch Golden State Warriors’ introductory press conference for Kevin Durant below.
