July 4, 2016 is one of those days that lives in infamy for many residents here in Oklahoma City and across the state of Oklahoma. It was on this day that superstar Kevin Durant announced his intentions to not resign with the Oklahoma City Thunder. He had instead decided to go play for the Golden State Warriors. Thunder fans were absolutely devastated, and that devastation quickly turned to rage as the Durant jersey burning processions began in the OKC streets.

I happened to be on a cruise with my family for our summer vacation when the news broke. My sadness and anger were thus drowned in a poolside, serve-yourself, frozen yogurt treat rather than raging in the streets with my fellow Thunder fanatics.

I can say, however, that I was in attendance for KD’s first game back in OKC since bolting for the Bay Area. And let me say, that was quite the spectacle. There was a fan that actually showed up to the game in a full on, plush cupcake costume. The boos were louder than anything that I had ever heard before as the crowd gave KD and the Warriors everything they had. The Thunder lost the game, but man, the experience was something else.

Anyways, back to our main topic of discussion. So KD, who has been gone from the Thunder now for six seasons, decides to sit down for an interview with an online sports website called “The Ringer.” In this interview, he claims that BOTH the Warriors and the Thunder need to retire his jersey for the good of the game of basketball. Now in this situation, like most situations I guess, I could care less about what the Warriors do. But let’s dive into the situation with the Thunder.

We’ll start with the reasons as to why there actually is a decently compelling argument to be made for a OKC jersey retirement for KD. Since the franchise moved to Oklahoma from Seattle, Durant has far and away been the best player for the Thunder. In the eight seasons that Durant played in OKC, the Thunder made the NBA Finals one year and made the Western Conference Finals three other times outside of the year they made the NBA Finals. Durant also lead the team to five division titles in the eight years he was here as well.

Durant also can’t be overlooked as a key piece in building the Thunder into a successful organization after moving from Seattle. Oklahoma City had been craving a professional sports organization for the longest time and Durant helped to make the Thunder into a successful and competitive team very quickly. Given all of this, a retired jersey for Durant would be fitting and, in all honesty, is probably deserved. However, here’s why it should never happen from a Thunder fan who has been with the team since day one in 2008.

He left the Thunder to go play for the Warriors! The WARRIORS! He left to go join a team that had a record of 73-9 in the previous season. Oh, and not to mention, the team that knocked the Thunder out of the Western Conference Finals after the Thunder had generated a 3-1 series lead in the same season where the Warriors went 73-9. You need four wins in a series to advance to the next round, for those keeping score at home.

The Thunder had what some people call “the greatest team ever,” which based off of record they were, on the ropes and were one single win away from going to their second NBA Finals. Instead, they blew a 3-1 lead and Durant left to join the team that just beat him. It was the single weakest move in the history of all sports and there is no debating that. Durant went to Golden State chasing a ring when he had all of the pieces to a championship team right here in OKC.

You don’t leave a team that gave you everything to go to the team that just beat you just so that you can get a participation ring. For this reason, the Thunder should never retire Durant’s jersey. Too many fans have completely forgotten about the years prior to Durant leaving because of the way that he left. He completely gutted the city and he, in turn, expects the city to immortalize him. I don’t think so, KD.

Now, given everything that I just said, if Durant were able to come back to OKC and complete his career here, maybe take the Thunder back to the Finals a year or two, then maybe July 4, 2016 can be forgotten and we can revisit a jersey retirement. However, I think that bridge has been completely burned to the ground and the chances of that happening are slim to none. So, as it stands right now, retiring KD’s jersey would not sit well with Loud City and it probably won’t for a long time. Durant’s moment of immortality will have to wait.