Stephen Curry flew straight to the New York area from Shangh

Stephen Curry flew straight to the New York area from Shanghai, China. But he wasn’t going to pitch Kevin Durant on why he should stay with the Warriors. It was already too late. He was on the plane when the news broke that Durant was leaving for Brooklyn.

And Curry didn’t turn the jet around or cancel the trip. Because it wasn’t about recruiting. It was about respect. It was about thanks.

It was easy to presume that if anyone could sway Durant, Curry would be the one. The point guard has been the Warriors’ biggest magnet, drawing the key pieces to the dynasty, including Durant and Andre Iguodala and coach Steve Kerr. It was Curry’s mojo that built this. It was his stamp of approval that sealed Durant’s arrival. His trip to New York was seen as a last-ditch effort to keep Durant.

But Curry went to have one last moment with Durant as teammates. To tell him one more time how much he appreciated him for the three years they had. They’d won two championships together. Dominated the league together. Made history together. He was there to wish Durant happiness and peace, express his support for his decision. And when Curry got to Durant’s apartment in Manhattan, Durant confirmed to Curry his decision that their time together was over. Face to face. Man to man. Friend to friend.

Neither Curry nor Durant responded to requests for comment. But what was probably unsaid, though, was what could have been. This moment illustrated one of the reasons, perhaps a significant one, Durant left — because Curry and Durant never really got to become Curry and Durant. It might have been the only thing that truly could have kept Durant in the Bay.

“He wanted that type of relationship,” said one source friendly with Durant. “It just didn’t work out like that.”

Durant had so many options in free agency, it was nearly impossible to know what he wanted. He made sure of that, too, by keeping his desires close to the vest and challenging anyone who presumed to know what he coveted.

But since he has decided, accepting a free-agent contract offer to play for the Brooklyn Nets and the teams later working out a sign-and-trade that sends D’Angelo Russell to the Warriors, some of the mystery has been uncovered. It wasn’t about money for Durant. He turned down the most he could get, which was $221 million from the Warriors, even with an Achilles injury that threatens his future earning potential. It wasn’t about the best opportunity to win a championship. While Brooklyn will now be a major player in the East, the Warriors were a proven championship contender on the cusp of a three-peat before injuries. An argument can be made that the Nets are younger and the Eastern Conference is an easier route, but those advantages pale in comparison to the experience and chemistry the Warriors core had already developed.

And this, clearly, wasn’t primarily about validating his legacy either. Undoubtedly, Durant has some critics he wants to rebut. But the biggest answer to his naysayers, the sure-fire way to make him the most legendary figure he could be, was to revive the Knicks. He passed on that, too.

Multiple sources have said for months Durant and Kyrie Irving planned on being teammates. Durant wanted them to join the Knicks together while Irving preferred they take over Brooklyn. They are now both Nets.

The decision by Durant revealed what he valued most: friendship. That DeAndre Jordan, another of Durant’s close friends, is also joining them in Brooklyn, reportedly, underscores exactly what was most important in Durant’s heart.

The money? He has plenty of it and will get plenty more. The winning? You can bet he is sure they are championship-worthy. The legacy? Like he said before, y’all know who he is.

It seems the real driving force was the opportunity to play with his good friends. It’s not surprising that such an opportunity matters to Durant. It always has, since he was a kid on the PG Jaguars AAU team. Camaraderie, fellowship, loyalty — truth is, these things have always been preeminent for Durant, even if some other desires and determinations tend to get in the way sometimes. He’s still a guy who wants to hoop at high levels with his homies.

If that was his greatest desire, it makes sense why he’s leaving — that was the one thing the Warriors couldn’t give him.

Durant came to the Warriors in search of a bond. Three years ago, when they met in the Hamptons, the visible unity the Warriors displayed stood out to him. They were four dudes who enjoyed each other and let that connection infect their play. Durant especially wanted that bond with Curry. That’s what drew him, according to many behind the scenes.

On paper, it made perfect sense. They are two humble guys, two players with a reputation for being selfless and easy going, two players who poured themselves into the game and have legendary work ethics.

But it never happened, not in the way that would keep Durant with the Warriors. To be sure, they got along. There was no behind-the-scenes fighting to speak of between the two. Ask Curry about Durant, he will rave about his talent and his heart. Ask Durant about Curry, he will lavish him heavily with praise. They were cool with each other. Still are. But their relationship could only go so deep because of their circumstances.

The biggest issue was timing. Durant arrived when Curry was 28 with two young daughters. Curry’s emphasis on being a family man cuts into his ability to be especially close with new people. Plus, Curry keeps a familial hedge around him. His entourage is mostly blood relatives, in-laws, close friends, business partners and employees. While his teammates are usually welcome, being with Curry requires being with his family.

Durant came to the Warriors a single man, new to the area and a free spirit. Their lives were in completely different spaces. Their hobbies were different. Durant, too, had his family and close friends around him. But as they faded from the forefront — his mother, Wanda, his brother, Tony, and his childhood friend Charlie Bell were far less visible in the Bay the last two years — Durant was left with his business partner Rich Kleiman and longtime friend and trainer Randy Williams, along with his Nike reps.

Durant is not the type to force his way into situations. If he meets too much resistance, or doesn’t feel the vibe, he is much more inclined to fall back.

They were friendly when together. They laughed incessantly. They supported each other. On many occasions, Durant used his platform to be supportive of Curry, buck back at his critics. Curry went out of his way to make Durant feel welcome. They both tried.

However, another reason they couldn’t bond fully was because they were often being pitted against each other.

Definitely by the fans, and in the space Durant frequents: social media. Even when Durant announced he was signing with the Warriors, on Independence Day 2016, while many Warriors fans celebrated, others contended the Warriors didn’t need Durant. Many fell in love with the 2015 and 2016 Warriors and scoffed when the team gave up its depth for Durant.

When the Warriors struggled, those struggles were pinned on Durant. His style of play was criticized. And Curry was the light under which Durant was scrutinized.

It wasn’t just fans. The media was complicit in presenting the Curry vs. Durant narrative, nationally and locally. The debate of who was the team’s best player continued in the background. How the team performed with either Curry or Durant absent was under constant watch.

And then there was the offense. Who runs it? Who has the ball in his hands? Who ends up iced out while the other gets fed? This discussion never ended.

Systemically, they had some issues. The Warriors preferred to move the ball, create offense by creating seams with motion. While Durant could play that game, that wasn’t his preferred style, especially when paired with players who couldn’t take advantage of the openings. And, invariably, Durant would get frozen out while Curry and Klay Thompson jacked up shots that would be ill-advised for others but were the foundation of what the Warriors built. And when the offense ran through Durant and it didn’t work, Durant took the heat.

All of it was fair game. Criticism, analysis, opinions — it’s part of the basketball landscape. It could be argued Durant should have been able to block it out, handle it better. It could be argued the Warriors should have adjusted the offense, adapted to its players. But the greater question is what was making Durant feel connected when everything else was trying to pull them apart?

That’s where friendship comes in. That’s where chemistry and the bond of players become valuable. The Warriors and Durant couldn’t build in three years, under the most intense of heat, the kind of bond that would survive all this. It was probably too much to ask from the beginning if that’s what indeed mattered most to Durant.

The original Warriors core isn’t as connected off the court as it may seem. None of them are inseparable away from the game. Each of their lives pulls them in different directions. Curry has his family. Draymond Green became a dad in 2016, altering his life significantly. Iguodala, who is also now on his way out with a trade to the Memphis Grizzlies, and Shaun Livingston also have their own families. And Thompson did his bachelor thing.

Probably the players who spend the most time together, away from team events, are Curry and Iguodala on the golf course.