Iman Shumpert has offered a pointed comparison for Kevin Durant’s decision to join the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
Speaking on Gil’s Arena, Shumpert used an analogy to describe how he viewed Durant’s move from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Warriors.
“Imagine me and Evan come rob your house, next year you come hang with us while we go rob someone else,” Shumpert said.
Durant joined Golden State in free agency after the Warriors had defeated Oklahoma City in the 2016 Western Conference Finals. The Thunder had led the series 3-1 before Golden State won three consecutive games to advance to the NBA Finals.
The decision immediately became one of the most debated moves in recent NBA history. Golden State had already won 73 games during the 2015-16 regular season and captured the 2015 championship before Durant arrived.
Durant, meanwhile, was coming off another elite season in Oklahoma City. In 2015-16, he averaged 28.2 points, 8.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists while shooting 50.5% from the field and 38.7% from three-point range. He was also selected to the All-NBA Second Team and finished fifth in MVP voting.
His first season with the Warriors produced 25.1 points, 8.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game while he shot 53.7% from the field. Golden State finished 67-15 and returned to the Finals, where Durant won his first NBA championship and Finals MVP award.
The Warriors repeated as champions in 2018, with Durant again winning Finals MVP. He averaged 26.4 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists during the regular season and was selected to the All-NBA First Team.
Durant left Golden State after the 2018-19 season and subsequently joined the Brooklyn Nets. He missed the entire 2019-20 season while recovering from an Achilles injury before returning in 2020-21.
The 37-year-old is now with the Houston Rockets after being traded by the Phoenix Suns in 2025. Durant averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists in 78 games during the 2025-26 season, shooting 52.0% from the field and 41.3% from three-point range.
