Sometimes going out of your way for a ‘friend’ doesn’t always pay off. 

According to The Ringer’s Bill Simmons, Stephen Curry was flying back from Shanghai to New York in order to speak with Durant one final time. It’s a flight that takes more than 12 hours, and a significant gesture by Curry.

Curry never got the chance to speak to Durant before his decision went live, Curry’s plane didn’t land until an hour after Durant announced his Brooklyn signing on IG.

Via The Bill Simmons Podcast, transcribed via Mercury News:

“The Warriors still feel like they have a puncher’s chance to get him,” Simmons said. “Enough that Curry is going to fly back from Shanghai to New York and land on Sunday night, right after free agency starts, and he has this determined time with KD to just talk with him and put a bow on everything. Either, ‘Hey man, here’s how we feel about you…’ and convince him to stay, and if Durant’s not going to stay, they’ll talk about that.”

“Curry … decides to do the dignified thing and he goes to meet KD anyway,” Simmons said, “basically to say goodbye to him. But, from what I’ve heard, the Warriors took that personally.

“Because, by all accounts, undeniably, Curry is one of the best teammates in the league. And one of the best teammates in a long time. And has just always kind of looked out for KD and defended him and all that stuff.

“And it just was (crummy). That’s what I heard.”

Warriors superfans Smash Mouth wasn’t too pleased about KD’s slap in the face to Steph either. 

In KD’s defense, Curry had all summer to make his pitch. Why wait until the last minute? 

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