Dein erstes Forum » The victory remains

Lets start by eliminating the notion that Kevin Durant is taking the easy way out by joining the Golden State Warriors.Theres nothing easy about becoming one of the greatest basketball players in the world.And theres nothing easy about winning an NBA championship. Nothing. No matter how much talent is on the roster.When the Boston Celtics assembled their Big Three in 2007, they were pushed to two Game 7s and lost a total of 10 playoff games on their path to a championship that season. When Shaquille ONeal was at his peak in 2000 and Kobe Bryant emerged as a Hall-of-Fame-caliber player, the Lakers still faced elimination twice before they reached the NBA Finals.And, of course, ask LeBron James how easy things went that first year in Miami, when the chorus of outraged fans took so much pleasure in his shortcomings in the NBA Finals.LeBron, of course, is the template for modern-day superstar free agency, a player fully aware of his ability to shift the landscape and willing to prioritize his individual desires. Maybe Durant would be less inclined to take this bold step if LeBrons move to Miami had not worked out so well.Still, Durant is a pioneer in that weve never seen an MVP-caliber player join a team that just knocked him out of the playoffs in a hard-fought series. LeBron never faced the Heat in the postseason, Shaq hadnt played the Lakers before he joined them in 1996. LaMarcus Aldridge did join the Spurs a year after losing to them in the playoffs but (A) that series ended in five games, hardly enough time to build up any animosity and (B) theres no such thing as a contentious series with the Spurs anyway.?(Seriously, when was the last time there was bad blood between the teams after a Spurs series?)The risk for Durant is that there will be little credit for victory and a torrent of Crying Jordans the likes of which the world has never seen should the Warriors lose. But what characterizes every great player is they are unafraid of failure.The odds are stacked in favor of the Warriors as long as they avoid injuries and Draymond Green suspensions. Dont worry about them finding enough touches for everyone. Durant already did just fine playing with the NBA leader in usage rate, Russell Westbrook. The Thunder were last in the NBA in passes, while the Warriors were sixth, with Golden State moving the ball 57 more times per game. And if the ball didnt end up in the hands of the best shooter in the game it often went to the second-best shooter, so its no surprise the Warriors led the league in assists. Theyre democratic enough to have had four different leading scorers in the last two games of the Western Conference finals and first two games of the NBA Finals. Now theres Durant, there to take all the shots that opponents were previously willing to concede to Harrison Barnes.If anyones legacy could take a hit its that of Stephen Curry, who could possibly win multiple NBA championships without winning the Bill Russell Finals MVP award. That Curry not only signed off on the recruitment of Durant but helped with the pitch shows he isnt placing his individual place in NBA history above the possibilities of this team. Hes always shown a willingness to let Klay Thompson or whoever else has it going have their shine.Coincidentally, Currys last glorious moment of the 2016 playoffs came at Durants expense, when Curry scored 36 points to finish off the Thunder in Game 7. Then LeBron lorded over Curry in the Finals, his new signature shoes were ridiculed on the internet and the latest social media sport became pointing out how Currys $12 million salary in 2016-17 will pale in comparison to everyone from Timofey Mozgov to, yes, Barnes.The contract talk overlooked the circumstances of the past, when the Warriors gambled on Curry coming off an injury-plagued 2011-12 season in which he played 26 games and Curry sought financial security. And it ignored the impact of this contract on the future: The best way to make up for the money he lost on this contract is to sign a five-year, maximum contract with the Warriors under terms he could not get anywhere else. Theres much more certainty that Curry will be with the Warriors long term than Westbrook will be with the Thunder, which could be a factor in Durants decision to head to the Bay Area.Were still waiting for Durant to expound on the reasons behind his choice. He spent most of his post on The Players Tribune expressing his affinity and appreciation for Oklahoma City.We do know what the Warriors sold him on: a chance at greatness, the possibility of a dynasty. They didnt promise him it would be easy. Edgar Martinez Jersey . -- Jimmie Johnson held off a teammate, passed a pair of Hall of Famers, and dominated once more at Dover. Dylan Moore Mariners Jersey . Malkin got tangled up with Detroits Luke Glendening early in the third period and his left skate took the brunt of collision with the boards behind Pittsburghs net. https://www.cheapmariners.com/2775k-jeff-nelson-jersey-mariners.html . -- Catcher Brett Hayes has agreed to a $630,000, one-year contract with the Kansas City Royals, avoiding salary arbitration. Gerson Bautista Mariners Jersey . Westbrook has missed 27 games since having a procedure on Dec. 27 to deal with swelling in his injured right knee — the third operation on the knee in nine months. Nelson Cruz Mariners Jersey . Jason Zucker and Matt Cooke also scored for Minnesota, which has won five of six. Kuemper made five saves in the first, nine in the second, and nine in the third. The rookies best save came with 2:17 left in the third period when he denied former Wild forward Matt Cullen from just outside of the crease on the right side. A lightweight championship bout between Eddie Alvarez and Conor McGregor will headline UFC 205 on Nov. 12 at Madison Square Garden.UFC officials confirmed the 155-pound title fight to ESPN on Monday. The UFC 205 pay-per-view is historic in that it marks the promotions first trip to New York since a 1997 ban on professional mixed martial arts was lifted earlier this year.McGregor (20-3), the current featherweight champion, will attempt to join BJ Penn and Randy Couture as the only fighters in UFC history to win titles in multiple weight classes. Per UFC president Dana White, McGregor will retain his featherweight championship through UFC 205, meaning he has the chance to become the first ever to hold those belts simultaneously.This is the fight the fans wanted, and Im excited that our very first event at Madison Square Garden will be headlined by Eddie Alvarez defending the lightweight title against Conor McGregor, White told ESPN. This card has three world title fights and is the best card in UFC history.The Irish superstar won the featherweight crown in December by knocking out longtime 145-pound kingpin Jose Aldo in 13 seconds. The victory remains the fastest finish in UFC title fight history.McGregor, 28, was actually supposeed to chase this piece of history at UFC 196 in March, but a lightweight championship fight against then-champion Rafael dos Anjos fell through because of injury.ddddddddddddMcGregor elected to remain on the card and fought Nate Diaz, who accepted on 11 days notice, at welterweight. Diaz handed McGregor his first loss in the UFC via second-round submission.Rather than head back down in weight, McGregor demanded an immediate 170-pound rematch against Diaz (19-11). He won the second fight via majority decision at UFC 202 in August.Alvarez (28-4) won the title in a first-round knockout over dos Anjos in July. The 32-year-old Philadelphia native also has held a 155-pound title in Bellator MMA. Alvarez publicly campaigned for a fight against McGregor, even though White briefly targeted a bout between Alvarez and Khabib Nurmagomedov.In addition to the lightweight title fight, defending welterweight champion Tyron Woodley (16-3) is scheduled to fight Stephen Thompson (13-1), and female strawweight titleholder Joanna Jedrzejczyk (12-0) will face off against fellow Polish striker Karolina Kowalkiewicz (10-0). ' ' '