The Golden State Warriors of the Kevin Durant–Stephen Curry era remain one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. While they captured championships and shattered records, their dynasty was not without controversy — not so much between Durant and Curry, but in the well-documented tension between Durant and Draymond Green, which ultimately played a role in Durant’s departure. Still, new Houston Rockets star left the Bay Area as a two-time champion and two-time Finals MVP.
Kevin Durant has never been shy about speaking his mind online. In a recent Q&A session with fans on X, the veteran forward once again stirred the pot — this time appearing to take a subtle swipe at Curry himself.
When one fan asked why he believes Warriors fans dislike him, Durant fired back with a pointed response: “Them Finals MVPs, they will never recover.” The comment quickly ignited debate on social media, with some believing it was a jab at Curry, while others argued Durant was simply targeting a vocal subset of Curry loyalists who still believe he robbed their star of Finals MVP honors.
The reaction was immediate. Many fans couldn’t believe Durant would go there, even knowing the lingering debate over whether Curry — not Durant — should have won one of those Finals MVPs. While Durant’s Finals performances were historic, the fact that he addressed fans directly with “they will never recover” made the shot feel personal.
The Finals MVP conversation has long been a sore spot in the Bay Area. In 2015, Andre Iguodala claimed the award over Curry. Then, in 2017 and 2018, Durant took home the honor in consecutive years, once again leaving Curry on the outside looking in.
see also
Not only LeBron and Curry: Man City HC Pep Guardiola names favorite NBA stars in post-Michael Jordan era
From Durant’s perspective, those back-to-back MVP wins planted the seeds of resentment among the most loyal Curry supporters. Even though he helped Golden State win two titles, he believes those accolades are at the core of why a portion of Warriors fans turned on him after he left.
In the 2017 NBA Finals, Durant was unstoppable — averaging 35.2 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 5.4 assists over five games, shooting 55.6% from the field and 47.4% from deep. Curry, meanwhile, averaged 26.8 points, 9.4 assists, and 8.0 rebounds while shooting 44% from the floor and 38.8% from beyond the arc.
A year later, Durant again delivered in the 2018 Finals, putting up 28.8 points, 10.8 rebounds, and 7.5 assists as the Warriors swept the Cavaliers. He shot 52.6% overall and 40.9% from three. Curry was stellar as well, averaging 27.5 points, 6.8 assists, and 6.0 rebounds, with shooting splits of 40.2% from the field and 41.5% from deep — but once again, the Finals MVP trophy went to Durant.
