MANILA, Philippines - The impact of Kevin Durant's shock announcement that he'll leave the Oklahoma City Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors has been felt globally. After all, the Warriors won 73 games last season after winning an NBA title the year before, and the addition of the 2013-14 MVP Durant returns the Dubs to championship favorite status.
Durant's fellow NBA players took to Twitter to express their surprise, disbelief, and for his new teammates, joy.
The 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala had apparently found a WiFi connection just in time to find out about his new teammate.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Looks I just turnt the gogo wifi on at the right time...</p>— Andre Iguodala (@andre) <a href="https://twitter.com/andre/status/749994635230060544">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Some NBA players wasted no time joking about the situation, with Portland Trail Blazers' CJ McCollum saying Durant's ex-Thunder teammate Russell Westbrook is set for his best season to date, while Washington Wizards center Marcin Gortat thinks the Dubs will set some new records of their own.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Thats crazy!!!! KD in GSW???? .... R they gonna score 200 points a game</p>— Marcin Gortat (@MGortat) <a href="https://twitter.com/MGortat/status/749992890684833792">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Russ about to avg a triple double with 30 </p>— CJ McCollum (@CJMcCollum) <a href="https://twitter.com/CJMcCollum/status/749994761721753600">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Other NBA players, like Jeremy Lin and Evan Fournier, were at a loss for words.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Whoa...</p>— Jeremy Lin (@JLin7) <a href="https://twitter.com/JLin7/status/749994137907105792">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">WOW... Really?</p>— Evan Fournier (@EvanFourmizz) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanFourmizz/status/749992396910387200">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Damn</p>— Dorell Wright (@DWRIGHTWAY1) <a href="https://twitter.com/DWRIGHTWAY1/status/749991737540505600">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sigh</p>— Ekpe Udoh (@EkpeUdoh) <a href="https://twitter.com/EkpeUdoh/status/749991439342399488">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
Sportswriters didn't have a lack of things to say about this league-rocking news.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">With Kevin Durant gone, the only small forward remaining on OKC's roster is Kyle Singler at the moment. Life comes at you ... fast</p>— Lang Greene (@LangGreene) <a href="https://twitter.com/LangGreene/status/750007088894517248">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Sam Presti made Russell Westbrook The Man in OKC. Kevin Durant couldn't take it any more.</p>— Skip Bayless (@RealSkipBayless) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealSkipBayless/status/750006922938462208">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
The Oklahoma City Thunder management have reacted in classy fashion to losing their biggest star.
{source}
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Statement from <a href="https://twitter.com/okcthunder">@okcthunder</a> on Kevin Durant's departure: <a href="https://t.co/C78aXZSXPJ">pic.twitter.com/C78aXZSXPJ</a></p>— SportsCentre (@SportsCentre) <a href="https://twitter.com/SportsCentre/status/750006770643374081">July 4, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
The news is probably going to deflate Victor Oladipo, the newly-acquired Thunder player who had this to say a day earlier.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="und" dir="ltr"><a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThunderUp?src=hash">#ThunderUp</a></p>— Victor Oladipo (@VicOladipo) <a href="https://twitter.com/VicOladipo/status/746811599323815940">June 25, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
And Kevin Durant himself had something to say about how corny it is to form super teams. At least he thought so 3 years ago when he sent this tweet.
{source}<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Now everybody wanna play for the heat and the Lakers? Let's go back to being competitive and going at these peoples!</p>— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) <a href="https://twitter.com/KDTrey5/status/18688294600">July 16, 2010</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>{/source}
– with reports from JR Isaga/Rappler.com