The 10-man rotation, starring Kevin Durant, who can visit OKC but can't go home again
In today’s edition of The 10-Man Rotation — Ball Don’t Lie’s long-running regular look around the league and the web that covers it, now a weekly newsletter featuring original content you can’t get anywhere else and highlights from the week that was at BDL (subscribe here!) — Eric Freeman writes about Saturday night’s Warriors-Thunder tilt, Kevin Durant’s first game back after skipping town this summer, and the other emotions it might stir.
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From “Kevin Durant’s return to OKC is about much more than anger”:
Maybe I’m naive, but Saturday’s event can now be more than an outburst of forced anger, a “48 Minutes Hate.” Thunder fans can show their pride in their team, as well. They don’t have to pretend to value the Boobie Gibsons and J.J. Hicksons of the world. With some help from Westbrook, the crowd can manifest what Durant actually did give up when he signed with the Warriors — the meaningful bond that only comes with a years-long, continuing relationship between a superstar and his fan base.
That, plus a look back at some of the best hoops writing of the week, from both BDL and around the Web at large. You can subscribe to the newsletter here. It’ll arrive in your email inbox every Friday, and your heart will be full of basketball again before every weekend, just like you always imagined.
Previous editions of the newsletter include:
• It’s OK to use the NBA as a release in toxic times
• Was Rajon Rondo’s Instagram hit all that bad?
• Where has all the defense gone?
• The Cavs are slumping, and no one really cares
• No, Zaza will not be an All-Star
• The 10-Man Rotation, starring NBA Christmas, a true joy to the world
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