Bewerbungen » least until 2030. The NFL extended its agre

Lets start by eliminating the notion that Kevin Durant is taking the easy way out by joining the Golden State Warriors.Theres nothing easy about becoming one of the greatest basketball players in the world.And theres nothing easy about winning an NBA championship. Nothing. No matter how much talent is on the roster.When the Boston Celtics assembled their Big Three in 2007, they were pushed to two Game 7s and lost a total of 10 playoff games on their path to a championship that season. When Shaquille ONeal was at his peak in 2000 and Kobe Bryant emerged as a Hall-of-Fame-caliber player, the Lakers still faced elimination twice before they reached the NBA Finals.And, of course, ask LeBron James how easy things went that first year in Miami, when the chorus of outraged fans took so much pleasure in his shortcomings in the NBA Finals.LeBron, of course, is the template for modern-day superstar free agency, a player fully aware of his ability to shift the landscape and willing to prioritize his individual desires. Maybe Durant would be less inclined to take this bold step if LeBrons move to Miami had not worked out so well.Still, Durant is a pioneer in that weve never seen an MVP-caliber player join a team that just knocked him out of the playoffs in a hard-fought series. LeBron never faced the Heat in the postseason, Shaq hadnt played the Lakers before he joined them in 1996. LaMarcus Aldridge did join the Spurs a year after losing to them in the playoffs but (A) that series ended in five games, hardly enough time to build up any animosity and (B) theres no such thing as a contentious series with the Spurs anyway.?(Seriously, when was the last time there was bad blood between the teams after a Spurs series?)The risk for Durant is that there will be little credit for victory and a torrent of Crying Jordans the likes of which the world has never seen should the Warriors lose. But what characterizes every great player is they are unafraid of failure.The odds are stacked in favor of the Warriors as long as they avoid injuries and Draymond Green suspensions. Dont worry about them finding enough touches for everyone. Durant already did just fine playing with the NBA leader in usage rate, Russell Westbrook. The Thunder were last in the NBA in passes, while the Warriors were sixth, with Golden State moving the ball 57 more times per game. And if the ball didnt end up in the hands of the best shooter in the game it often went to the second-best shooter, so its no surprise the Warriors led the league in assists. Theyre democratic enough to have had four different leading scorers in the last two games of the Western Conference finals and first two games of the NBA Finals. Now theres Durant, there to take all the shots that opponents were previously willing to concede to Harrison Barnes.If anyones legacy could take a hit its that of Stephen Curry, who could possibly win multiple NBA championships without winning the Bill Russell Finals MVP award. That Curry not only signed off on the recruitment of Durant but helped with the pitch shows he isnt placing his individual place in NBA history above the possibilities of this team. Hes always shown a willingness to let Klay Thompson or whoever else has it going have their shine.Coincidentally, Currys last glorious moment of the 2016 playoffs came at Durants expense, when Curry scored 36 points to finish off the Thunder in Game 7. Then LeBron lorded over Curry in the Finals, his new signature shoes were ridiculed on the internet and the latest social media sport became pointing out how Currys $12 million salary in 2016-17 will pale in comparison to everyone from Timofey Mozgov to, yes, Barnes.The contract talk overlooked the circumstances of the past, when the Warriors gambled on Curry coming off an injury-plagued 2011-12 season in which he played 26 games and Curry sought financial security. And it ignored the impact of this contract on the future: The best way to make up for the money he lost on this contract is to sign a five-year, maximum contract with the Warriors under terms he could not get anywhere else. Theres much more certainty that Curry will be with the Warriors long term than Westbrook will be with the Thunder, which could be a factor in Durants decision to head to the Bay Area.Were still waiting for Durant to expound on the reasons behind his choice. He spent most of his post on The Players Tribune expressing his affinity and appreciation for Oklahoma City.We do know what the Warriors sold him on: a chance at greatness, the possibility of a dynasty. They didnt promise him it would be easy. Wholesale Hockey Jerseys From China . On Mar. 16, coming off a "fight of the year" performance at UFC 154 the previous November, St-Pierre faced Nick Diaz at UFC 158 in what would be his eighth defence of the welterweight title. Using his superior athleticism, St-Pierre cruised to a five round, unanimous decision victory setting up a much-anticipated title defence against number one contender Johny Hendricks. Cheap Hockey Jerseys . Pettersen, winner of last years Evian Championships, had nine birdies and three bogeys, holding off a series of challengers led by Marion Ricordeau of France. The second-ranked Norwegian made her season debut after missing the LPGA Tours opening event last month in the Bahamas because of a shoulder injury. http://www.wholesalenhljerseyschina.com/ . LOUIS -- Attorneys for the St. Wholesale NHL Jerseys . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . Woodson said during a radio interview Thursday that the Knicks Carmelo Anthony doesnt get the same calls as other superstars. JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- The Jacksonville Jaguars have settled on a London itinerary, quite possibly for the foreseeable future.After three years of experimenting with the schedule, the Jaguars (0-3) are flying across the pond the same day they did a year ago. Its no coincidence theyre repeating the routine that ended with a 34-31 victory against Buffalo at Wembley Stadium.Jacksonville, which will leave Thursday afternoon and arrive Friday morning, is looking for similar results Sunday against AFC South rival Indianapolis (1-2).All we have in the back of our mind is that this is a business trip and it doesnt matter how long were there, defensive end Tyson Alualu said. We just have to make sure we come back with a win.That could be paramount for coach Gus Bradley, who is 12-39 in four seasons, has dropped six consecutive games and would like nothing more than to quell speculation about his job security heading into the teams bye week.The Jaguars believe they have the found the best way to prepare for the 4,200-mile flight and five-hour time difference. It took some trial and error to figure it out, though.They traveled early in the week following a home game in 2013 and lost badly. They flew across the pond right after a road game in 2014 and got blown out again. Then, instead of spending nearly an entire week in London, they went three days ahead of the game last season. History shows teams with shorter stays tend to win more often.Going over a week early is good the first time because it gives you a chance to really see everything over there, safety Johnathan Cyprien said. But now that weve been there a couple times, I like the idea of getting there on Friday. I think your body adjusts pretty quickly.Playing in London for the fourth straight year, Jacksonville requested a division game in hopes of taking advantagee of having been there before.dddddddddddd The Colts are making the trip for the first time.Jacksonville lost its first two games at Wembley by a combined score of 73-27. Now, the team feels like theres little, if any, potential for players and coaches to be shell-shocked or awe-struck by London.We know were going to go there every year, so lets take advantage of this, linebacker Paul Posluszny said. Its important for our organization, so lets do the job on the field and make it that way.Jaguars owner Shad Khan hopes to play annually in London at least until 2030. The NFL extended its agreement with Wembley last year, and Jacksonville is scheduled to play there once a year through 2020.Khan calls playing in London the No. 1 element to stabilizing the small-market franchise. The annual trip, one of Jacksonvilles 10 home games including exhibitions, accounts for 15 percent of the teams local revenue. So there are financial implications for playing there. The Jaguars just need to make it competitively advantageous.Sticking with the same schedule could help.The Jags are essentially treating it like a West Coast trip. Theyre leaving after practice Thursday and will arrive the following morning. Theyll check into the hotel and then get on the field for some light jogging. The team mandates that players sleep during the eight-hour flight, even offering sleeping pills and suggesting eye shades and noise-canceling headphones.We feel like weve been there enough times before that we know what we need to do, said defensive tackle Roy Miller, who will be playing his sixth game in London. Its business as usual now.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and AP NFL Twitter feed: http://twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '