"Understood why people was pissed" - Kevin Durant gets real about his move joining Steph Curry-led Warriors 

When Kevin Durant decided to part ways with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the move rocked the NBA community to its core. At the time, Durant was fresh off an impressive 2015-16 season that saw him and the team make a run all the way to the conference finals.

During that series, the Thunder jumped to a 3-1 lead over Steph Curry & the Golden State Warriors, who finished the regular season with a historic 73-9 record. Despite the Thunder's dominance, Golden State managed to come back from down 3-1 to win the series and advance to the finals.

That offseason, Durant decided to sign with the Warriors despite previously saying that he wanted to stay with the Thunder for his entire career. Now, during an appearance on Zach Randolph and Tony Allen's "Out The Mud" podcast, Durant reflected on the situation.

While he understands why people were pissed about the move, he defended it by saying that there were several factors at play that contributed to his decision.

"I understood why people was pissed off, but I couldn't make a decision based off of what other people wanted to. ... I feel like there's a lot of different factors into why I wanted to leave OKC," Durant said. "And majority of it is I wanted a new experience. I wanted to play a different way, a different style. I wanted to live in a different city, experience a different life in a different city."

"That's all I knew was OKC. I wanted to play for a different management. I just wanted to experience what life was like with a different organization. On top of having the opportunity to play with some of the best players that knew how to play, that matched my skillset. So everything aligned," he added.

"I would love to stick it out with one team my whole career," - Looking back at Kevin Durant's comments about OKC the season before unceremonious exit

At the time Kevin Durant decided to part ways with the OKC Thunder, the team was fresh off a deep postseason run. Despite making waves in the playoffs yearly, the team was unable to capture a title in their lone NBA finals appearance in 2012.

Because of that, many fans felt bad about Durant parting ways with the Thunder so he could win a ring with a Golden State Warriors team that had already won a title in 2015. Durant had previously indicated that he wanted to play out his career with the Thunder. In an interview with Revolt TV during the 2014-15 season, where he reigned as the league's MVP, Durant said:

“I love it here man. I love my teammates, I love the city, I don’t really think about anywhere else. I hear it all the time, don’t get me wrong, and once you hear it you’re kind of like...

"But for me, I love staying in the moment, and I’m one of those guys that would love to stick it out with one team my whole career.”

Over eight seasons with the team since the relocation from Seattle, Durant cemented himself as both the face of the franchise and a beacon of hope for OKC fans. In addition to giving fans hope with his on-court play that helped lead the team to its first NBA finals appearance since the relocation, Durant gave fans hope off the court as well.

After a tornado ripped through the Oklahoma City area, Durant donated $1 million to relief efforts, leading to one fan taking the opportunity to hang Durant's jersey over the rubble, sending a clear message of hope.

Because of that, it's clear, based on the backlash the 2014 MVP faced, that Kevin Durant's exit from the Thunder was more than just a case of a fan favorite parting ways with a franchise.