Kevin Durant: Oklahoma City Thunder player to join Golden State Warriors

Kevin Durant's Oklahoma Thunder lost 4-3 to the Golden State Warriors in last season's Western Conference finals

Oklahoma City Thunder small forward Kevin Durant is joining the Golden State Warriors.

The 27-year-old, who is in the US squad for August's Rio Olympics, has been in seven NBA All-Star teams.

He will be joining the team who finished last season with an NBA record 73 regular-season wins.

"It really pains me to know that I will disappoint so many people with this choice, but I believe I am doing what I feel is the right thing," he said.

"The primary mandate I had for myself in making this decision was to have it based on the potential for my growth as a player — as that has always steered me in the right direction.

"But I am also at a point in my life where it is of equal importance to find an opportunity that encourages my evolution as a man: moving out of my comfort zone to a new city and community which offers the greatest potential for my contribution and personal growth.

"With this in mind, I have decided that I am going to join the Golden State Warriors."

Durant's decision to join the team who were beaten by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the NBA finals last month has been met with an angry reaction from many basketball fans.

Durant tweeted in 2010: "Now everybody want to play for the Heat and the Lakers? Let's go back to being competitive and going at these peoples."

The tweet is now being widely shared as people perceive the Olympic gold-medal winner to have turned his back on his previous sentiments.