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. Anders Lee Islanders Jersey . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. Josh Bailey Islanders Jersey . This should be celebrated because it will not always be this way. With the amount of money given to players by their clubs these days, it is a wonder that so many of those teams allow the sport to continue to take away many of their assets so they can play for a different team in the middle of their season. http://www.nhl... . John Lucas, signed as a mentor for rookie Trey Burke, showed he can score if required, scoring 12 points of his 16 points in the second quarter as Utah built an 18-point lead. [url=http://www.nhlislandershockeystore.com/jason-chimera-jersey/]Jason Chimera Jersey .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. Travis Hamonic Islanders Jersey . Miller reached right to deflect Mikhail Grabovskis attempt with just over 2 minutes remaining in regulation, and then made two more saves in the shootout Sunday to give the Sabres a 2-1 win over the Washington Capitals. NEW YORK -- ?? The defending world champion is a 25-year-old Norwegian whos been named one of the worlds sexiest men.Magnus Carlsen is tops in an endurance sport that doesnt require him to move from his chair.Its called chess.Carlsen, the highest-rated player in chess history, again aims to win the World Chess Championship, the most eagerly awaited match in a generation, starting Friday in New York.Trying to wrest the title from Carlsen is the 26-year-old Ukrainian-born Russian grandmaster Sergey Karjakin.The prize purse of $1.1 million will be divided 60-40 between the men, who are treated like rock stars in their countries.Carlsen and Karjakin will play in a renovated building on the historic Manhattan waterfront, near Wall Street and the Brooklyn Bridge.The championship has returned to the United States for the first time in 21 years; the last one was in Sochi, Russia, in 2014.In the U.S., organizers face a challenge: how to popularize a sedentary sport with little visible action in a society where most fans favor dynamic sports like football, boxing, basketball and baseball.Still, chess has its fervent American fans, including Jay Z, Jude Law, Arnold Schwarzenegger and President Barack Obama.The International Olympic Committee recognizes the World Chess Federation, which governs championship-linked matches, as a sports entity. It requires not only brain acrobatics but also the physical stamina to sit as long as six hours at a time for three weeks.The board battle pits figures of medieval warriors, kings, queens, bishops and knights against each other in ever-changing plots as dramatic as the Game of Thrones.About 1 billion downloads have been tracked to apps offering electronic versions of the game, says Ilya Merenzon, the Moscow-based chief executive officer of Agon Ltd., which owns the marketing and commercial rights to the World Chess brand for the championships and the qualifying games leading up to it.There are an estimated 600 million players worldwide, Merenzon says.By contrast with the glitzy, high-tech chhampionship, chess enthusiasts can be found playing in hundreds of New York outdoor public spaces, such as Central Park.dddddddddddd Some of these urban street players are homeless.Karjakin was 12 when he became the youngest grandmaster, and Carlsen was a grandmaster at 13.When I was young, I was used to winning games in a very aggressive style, and I would attack all the time and I was used to my opponents cracking, Carlsen said. But when I got to the highest level, then people defended better, so now Im more pragmatic. Whatever risks I take, I try to control the game.Carlsen has cashed in through sponsorships, his own chess app and modeling for ads. He appeared in G-Star Raws Spring/Summer fashion ad campaign along with actress and model Lily Cole.He also was selected by Cosmopolitan magazine as one of the sexiest men of 2013. Since then, hes also been the worlds No. 1 player.All 600 seats for Fridays inaugural game were sold out, starting at $75 apiece. Two games are played on consecutive days, followed by a one-day break, for a total of 12 games.Tens of millions of fans are expected to follow live online, free of charge through the worldchess.com website and affiliate partners. In addition, $15 via Pay-Per-View buys the game in virtual reality, allowing fans to experience the game as if they were there by wearing special goggles.For years, chess seemed to be played in a bubble, far from mainstream media.But it never grew out of style in Carlsens Norway, where TV programs are pre-empted for important games.This week, New York will host the first championship with two grandmasters of the smartphone generation -- a battle of two of the finest minds on the planet, Merenzon says. Our goal is to make chess a pop culture event.---This story has been corrected to show the companys name is Agon, not Agony, and the company does not control the games, just the commercial rights to the brand name. Cheap NFL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys Wholesale NFL Jerseys Jerseys From China Wholesale NFL Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys Cheap Jerseys ' ' '