We’ve got a doozy of a doubleheader on Sunday Night Basketball on NBC and Peacock this evening, starting with the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Dallas Mavericks at 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by a game with all sorts of playoff implications on the line: the Houston Rockets vs. the Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m. ET.
There’s certainly some shared history in the first game, what with Luka Dončić returning home to Dallas with his new squad, but that history never amounted to championships… and championships pretty much define the shared history between the Rockets’ Kevin Durant and the formerly unstoppable Golden State Warriors.
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Remembering Kevin Durant’s dynastical run on the Golden State Warriors
Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry walking on the court together during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans.
There are familiar faces in the NBA, and then there’s the faces of the NBA themselves, and Kevin Durant and Steph Curry have been front and center for a long time now. Durant has been in the NBA so long that he’s just one of two guys (alongside Rockets teammate “Uncle” Jeff Green) to have played for the now defunct Seattle Supersonics, who drafted KD in 2007. Steph’s a kid in comparison, having been drafted in 2009 by the Warriors, where he’s played every season since.
Meanwhile, in his 18 NBA seasons, Durant has played for five different franchises, but six different teams, since the Sonics became the Thunder when they moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. And Durant was a key part of the Oklahoma City Thunder squad that lost to the Warriors in the 2016 Western Conference Finals after being up 3 games to 1. Ouch.
But as they say, if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em, and that’s exactly what KD did in the summer of 2016, signing with the Warriors for a chance to compete for a championship under head coach Steve Kerr (who’s still the Warriors’ coach) and alongside Curry, fellow Splash Brother Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green (who’s also still with the Dubs).
How good were the Warriors with Kevin Durant?
Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant of the Golden State Warriors together during a game.
It’s safe to say signing KD was good for the Warriors back in 2016. That season, the Dubs dominated like few teams have before or since, going 67–15 in the regular season, and basically sweeping the postseason with an NBA record 16-1 record on the way to beating LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers (who the Warriors lost to the previous season) in the 2017 NBA Finals. And guess who won the Finals MVP? Kevin Durant.
The next season was basically a replay, with the Warriors sweeping the Cavs in the Finals to win the 2018 NBA Championship, and KD winning yet another Finals MVP.
There’s no specific rules, but to be considered a dynasty, a team has to win at least three chips, right? Well, that’s where the what-ifs come into play. In 2019, Durant injured his right calf in the Western Conference Semifinals. The Warriors, seeking a threepeat, made it to the Finals anyways, clearing the way for Durant to make his triumphant return in Game 5, only for KD to end up rupturing his Achilles. The Warriors ultimately got beat 4-2 by Kawhi Leonard and the Toronto Raptors. Dynasty averted.
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Why did Kevin Durant leave the Warriors?
Kevin Durant #7 of the Houston Rockets handles the ball during a game.
On July 7, 2019, via a sign-and-trade, Durant joined the Brooklyn Nets, noting his desire to seek out a fresh environment with new challenges.
“I felt like a lot of stuff in Golden State had reared its head,” Durant told First Take that October. “I felt like it was going to be the end no matter what, especially for that group. Shaun Livingston was retiring. Andre Iguodala was getting older. Our contracts were going to start for the team and put us in a hole to get other players. It was time for all of us to separate.”
Still, speculation abounded that perhaps the fact that the Warriors would always be Curry’s team first had something to do with it? Either way, we’ll never know the dynasty that could have been, had KD stuck around.
Technically, though, Steph and KD did ultimately win a third championship together, just not in the NBA. They were both key members of the 2024 Team USA squad that took gold in Paris.
Is Steph Curry playing tonight against the Houston Rockets?
Hopefully we’ll get to see Curry and KD back on the floor together again, even if it’s not on the same team. Right now though, Curry’s status is questionable, as he remains a game-time decision after a knee injury has kept him sidelined since January.
How can you watch the Houston Rockets vs. Golden State Warriors on Sunday Night Basketball?
The Easter Sunday edition of Sunday Night Basketball begins at 7:30 p.m. ET, as the Los Angeles Lakers head to Dallas to face the Mavericks. The action continues at 10 p.m. ET, with the Houston Rockets visiting the Golden State Warriors live from the Chase Center in San Francisco, California. Both games will air live on NBC in their respective regions, and stream live on Peacock regardless of location.
NBA on NBC
The NBA is officially back on NBC and Peacock, with exclusive games every week across broadcast and streaming featuring some of the biggest stars in the game.
The action kicks off every week with Peacock NBA Monday, featuring exclusive games streaming only on Peacock. Then on Tuesday nights, check out NBC‘s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, which features two marquee games in primetime. With Sunday Night Football wrapped up, the NBA has also taken over NBC‘s weekends with Sunday Night Basketball, with a primetime showcase game every week to wrap up the weekend.
Check out the full schedule for every NBA game on NBC and Peacock this season right here.
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Courtside Live: An interactive, mobile-first viewing experience with new camera feeds and immersive perspectives that bring you to center court. Available weekly for select games throughout the 2025-2026 season.
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Can’t Miss Highlights: Swipeable vertical highlights on the Peacock mobile app for quick recaps of clutch moments, momentum shifts, and standout plays, wherever you are.
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Peacock ScoreCard: Turn every game into an interactive experience. Pick from a range of cards and watch as your predictions come true.
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