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Durant's foot touch: How 1 inch changed NBA history
10 Mar
Summary
- A single inch determined an alternate NBA championship in 2021.
- This small alteration created a cascading effect across the league.
- Kevin Durant's career and multiple team trajectories were altered.
A hypothetical Game 7 in the 2021 Eastern Conference Semifinals saw Kevin Durant's potential game-winning shot ruled a two-pointer due to his foot touching the line. This alternate reality, dubbed the Nets Championship Universe (NCU), imagines Durant's shot counting as a three-pointer, leading to a Brooklyn Nets championship.
This pivotal moment triggered a cascade of changes throughout the NBA. The Nets, in this timeline, defeated the Phoenix Suns in the 2021 Finals, significantly boosting Durant's and Harden's legacies and giving Steve Nash a championship as a coach.
Furthermore, Durant declined to play in the 2021 Olympics, leading to a French gold medal win. This ripple effect influenced draft picks, player movement, and subsequent team performances across the league for years.
Franchises like the Philadelphia 76ers, Milwaukee Bucks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Dallas Mavericks saw their fortunes drastically change. Player careers, such as Ben Simmons' and Tyrese Haliburton's, took different paths, impacting rivalries and future team compositions.
The NCU even alters the 2025 NBA Draft lottery, with the Chicago Bulls securing the top pick and selecting Cooper Flagg, showcasing the far-reaching consequences of that single, game-altering inch.
