You Don’t Have to Forgive Kevin Durant,But You Do Have to Appreciate Him

By Ben Golliver

Durant chose to leave Oklahoma City for a 73-win team. His decision ended a budding Thunder-Warriors rivalry before it really got started.He registered those burner1burner暂时的，一次性的，通常指匿名的。accounts,liked all those tweets, and took those unnecessary shots at his former team. He joined a Warriors organization where he would never be as beloved as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. He publicly ceded leadership duties to Curry. He taped those podcasts, bemoaned those“Blog Boys2杜兰特创造的新词。他近期做客Bill Simmons的播客节目时表示，自己很不喜欢什么高阶分析，只在乎基础数据。同时，他也对blog boys（写文章的体育记者）嗤之以鼻，表示这些所谓的记者和球迷应该认真看看比赛，不要只在网上空造文章。此言在Reddit上引起广泛热议。” and pushed back against analytics, even as his own game and team represent high-efficiency, high-IQ basketball. And he has avoided making waves at the podium, mumbling through clichés instead of launching into LeBron James-like soliloquies while wearing Nike sweats instead of tailored suits.

当年，杜兰特选择离开俄克拉何马城，加盟一支一个赛季获得73场胜利的球队。这一决定令雷霆与勇士之间锋芒乍现的竞争戛然而止。在雷霆时，他曾经注册了一些随时可弃的“马甲”账户，喜欢发送推文，也拍了些可有可无的照片。加盟勇士之后，他永远不可能像库里和格林那般受人拥戴，他公开将领袖职责让于库里，录制了一些播客，抱怨那些“博客男”，又与那些篮球评论员开撕，似乎只有他自己的比赛和球队才体现了篮球中的高效和智慧。站在台上时，他一身运动衣，而非正装；他从不挥手致意，说起话来，口齿不清，老套无趣，而不像詹姆斯那样侃侃而谈。

[2] On this, though, everyone should also begin to acknowledge: Durant has been the best player in the 2018 NBA playoffs besides James.

[3] For the second straight year, he’s raised his level of play in the postseason,looking unfazed and unguardable in high-pressure situations and hostile environments. He’s been more consistent than James Harden, he’s carried a heavier offensive load than Al Horford, and he’s still playing, unlike Anthony Davis.

[4] “Kevin is the ultimate luxury,”Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. “He can get you a bucket3bucket投篮得分。as well as anybody on Earth. This is why anybody would want him on their team. A couple of years ago, we’re in the Finals and we couldn’t quite get over the hump. Kevin is the guy that puts you over the hump. I don’t know what you do to guard him. He can get any shot he wants.”

[5] Durant has become the anti-James. When Cleveland wins, James gets the credit. When Cleveland loses,James’s teammates usually take the blame. However, when Golden State wins, Durant’s teammates usually get the credit. And if Golden State ever loses big in the playoffs, Durant would surely be first in line for the blame, punchlines and memes mocking his next free-agency decision, and all the rest.

[2]尽管如此，大家也都应该承认：杜兰特是2018年季后赛中，除了詹姆斯之外最优秀的球员。

[3]连续第二年，杜兰特在季后赛中进步明显，在高强度比赛中和充满敌意的对抗中，他处变不惊，所向披靡。他比哈登表现得更加稳定，比霍福德更具进攻性，而且，他还在比赛，而不像戴维斯那样已遭淘汰。

[4]“凯文真是千金难求！”勇士队主教练科尔说，“他投篮得分，无人能比，所以，人人都希望他能加盟自己的球队。几年前，我们进入决赛后，并没有多大把握过这道坎儿，但凯文能够帮助我们迈过这道坎儿。我不知道人们怎么能防守住他，他真是想投就投。”

[5]杜兰特与勒布朗·詹姆斯截然相反。骑士队获胜时，功归詹姆斯，失败时，通常则由队友担责。但是，勇士获胜时，功归队友，在季后赛中一旦大败，杜兰特则必然首担其责，同时，对其未来转会的讥笑嘲讽也不一而足。

[6] It would be a shame for this dynamic to continue indefinitely. Durant can’t take back his decision, he can’t go back in time to do a better job hyping the move, and he really shouldn’t apologize any more for his silly social media behavior. Despite the baggage, he is still a 29-year-old MVP—a possible top-five alltime scorer and a certain first-ballot Hall of Famer—at the height of his powers,cutting through the noise4cut through the noise能够吸引他人注意，以此与人沟通。to make one of the league’s best defenses look hopeless.He’s now averaging 28.8 PPG, 7.5 RPG and 4.6 APG without really forcing the issue5force the issue迫使某人迅速行动。, aside from loudly expressing his frustration at Kerr when he was taken out of the game in the third quarter.

[7] Although it’s sacrilegious to say, Durant has been so consistently excellent in the postseason that Golden State might not need Curry to win the title. This sentiment, if conveyed at all,has come via whisper. The opposite take—that Curry’s Warriors don’t need Durant—is invariably shouted.

[8] Yes, Curry was there first, and the foundation for this potential dynasty was made in his image. But downplaying Durant’s central role in Golden State’s postseason record over the past two years would be inaccurate and disrespectful.To careful observers, he’s erased every question about his value and answered every doubt about his game since arriving in Golden State. He’s climbing to new heights, and he knows it.

[6]长此以往，堪称遗憾。杜兰特已无法收回决定，无法让时光倒流，炒作自己的举动。他的确不应该再为以前那些愚蠢的社交行为道歉。尽管身背历史包袱，他却只有29岁，是最有价值球员，有望位列历史得分榜前五名，而且必然会进入名人堂。他正处于巅峰时期，会以自己的方式与人沟通，赢得尊重，令联盟最佳防守束手无策。他每场比赛可以轻松得到28.8分、7.5个篮板球、4.6次助攻。不过，他对科尔在第三节将其雪藏总会失望大吼。

[7]说起来似乎不敬，但杜兰特在季后赛中表现如此稳定，如此优异，金州勇士似乎没有库里也能赢得冠军。这种观点绝非空穴来风，但与此相反的论调——库里的勇士队无需杜兰特——也甚嚣尘上。

[8]的确，库里先于杜兰特进入勇士队，勇士王朝的根基也由他奠定，但是，杜兰特在勇士队近两年季后赛中的核心作用也不容小觑。仔细观察就会发现，自从加盟勇士队以来，杜兰特已经打消了人们关于其价值的任何疑问，也回击了人们对其比赛的任何疑问。他正在走向新高，他深知此点。

[9] “I don’t know if we’re at our peak,” Durant said ominously. “I think we could be better.”

[10] Last season, Durant went home with his first ring, his first Finals MVP and little in the way of closure6closure解脱，减轻。. If the Warriors keep rolling like they are now,he could end this season in the exact same fashion. Would a second ring and a second Finals MVP be enough to forgive his original sin of joining the Warriors?For many people, probably not.

[11] If forgiveness is still a bridge too far, start with unqualified appreciation.Durant has taken a year’s worth of lumps with no end in sight. For now, try savoring Durant as he gets to his spot, raises up above the contesting hands, splashes shot after shot, and leaves another coach searching for solutions that aren’t there.

[12] There will be plenty of time to bemoan the NBA’s lack of competitive balance and ponder the endless whatifs of Durant’s 2017 decision during the offseason. Over the next month, the conversation around Durant should be simple: the man deserves his due.

[9]“我不知道我们是不是处于巅峰，”杜兰特似有犹疑，“我觉得我们还会进步。”

[10]上一赛季，杜兰特赢得第一枚总冠军戒指,首次荣膺总决赛最有价值球员，也获得了些许的自我满足。如果勇士队能保持状态，本赛季结束时他有望再次载誉而归。但是，第二枚戒指、第二次总决赛最有价值球员的殊荣足以让大家原谅他加盟勇士吗？怕是不易。

[11]如果原谅尚难奢望，权以欣赏而始吧。杜兰特已经经历了整整一年的郁闷，其胸中块垒至今无望消解。当下之计，还是尽情地欣赏他的站位，他争抢时的拔地而起，他唰唰地投篮，他令对手的教练无计可施。

[12]季后赛期间，人们有充裕的时间抱怨NBA缺乏势均力敌的竞争，也有充裕的时间就杜兰特2017年的决定展开无限想象。但简而言之，此后的这个月，围绕杜兰特的话题将是：这小子当之无愧！