2017 Bay’s First: Durant’s Revenge Title

In 2017, Kevin Durant finally reached the summit. In his first season with Golden State, he beat LeBron’s Cleveland 4-1 for his first championship.

The ring was special: a year earlier, in 2016, Durant’s Thunder were reversed by these Warriors, and Cleveland overturned a 1-3 deficit. In 2017 Durant, as a Warrior, took revenge—his 35-plus-per-game efficiency made him the uncontested Finals MVP.

The title shed the "scoring champ without a ring" label and opened Golden State’s "Reaper era." Durant’s career crossed from super scorer to championship core.

When Durant lifted the FMVP, the "superteam" doubts got their loudest answer.

Related Reading

• 2017 NBA Finals MVP: Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)
• 2018 NBA Finals MVP: Kevin Durant (Golden State Warriors)
• The Birth of a Juggernaut: A Deep Dive Into the 2017 Championship
• Three in Four: A Deep Dive Into the 2018 Championship
• Kevin Durant: Most Valuable and Legacy— One MVP, and a Coordinate of an Era