In the days after Kevin Durant committed to the Warriors in July 2016, Bob Myers flew back to the Hamptons to hang out with Durant and his associates. It was the get-to-know-you phase.



A friendship, fueled by regular back-and-forth banter, was formed, only strengthened by their constant communication. After the Warriors were blown out by 40 points in Utah in this year’s regular-season finale, Myers invited Durant over to his house for dinner the next day. They watched that final night of games to see who they’d play in Round 1. They laughed. They eased the pressure before playoff time.



“Kevin and I joke around about stuff all the time,” Myers said.



That dynamic has lived behind the scenes for two years, cutting both ways. But it was thrust into the public light at Tuesday’s title parade, a one-sided burn delivered by Myers to Durant, thrown onto the internet like a piece of meat for starved Durant-bashing fans —...