It was many years ago that Kevin Durant last suited up for the OKC Thunder, but he hasn’t forgotten the experience of playing there and what it meant for him to start his career on such uncharted ground.
“We all were going through the maturation process,” said Durant. “And just figuring out what it is to be in the NBA. The craziest part is seeing the city itself. When I first got there it was like one skyscraper building, and now you go there and they got resort hotels they go skyscraper buildings and eventually having the All-Star game there, which does so much for a city. I look at my time in OKC from that perspective. We helped build a city up, more than just build a fanbase for basketball. We built up a core and culture of what this town is going to be about.”
This season, the Oklahoma City Thunder have shocked the basketball world with their play and the future couldn’t be brighter for them with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jaylen Williams paving the way for the franchise for the next few years to come. As a young and exciting basketball team, excitement is buzzing in OKC right now and they are very much on the rise as an NBA franchise.
But before there was Holmgren or Shai or anyone else on the current team, there was Kevin Durant, Russell, Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka. Together, those four laid the foundation for the Thunder and they helped to give the city an identity. Ultimately, while Durant’s stay with the Thunder was short-lived, his impact there is undeniable, given how much he changed for them over 15 years.
Why Did Kevin Durant Leave The Thunder?
After nine seasons with the Thunder, Durant’s career hit a major turning point in the summer of 2016 when he split from his longtime co-star. As a free agent that year, Kevin was the most highly coveted player in free agency and the days leading up to his decision were among the most intense we had ever seen.
While many experts were certain that Durant would re-sign with the Thunder that summer, he shocked the world by signing a deal with the Golden State Warriors, the same team that had just come back to beat him from down 3-1.
It was unfathomable to some that Durant would abandon the Thunder after they were so close to a title, but the former MVP would go on to explain his actions years later. According to Kevin, he just wanted to play with a different group of players and was tired of “being the only guy that can make threes, make jump shots, and consistently make them.”
Kevin Durant didn’t care at all about the “rivalry” between the Warriors and Thunder, but maybe he should have. While he was ultimately able to win two championships with the Warriors, the move forever tainted his legacy and made him public enemy number one in the eyes of the fans.
But regardless of how things ended, Durant still played a major role in establishing the Thunder as a respectable franchise. He put them on the map with his rise to stardom in 2010 and led them to their most successful era to date all as he poured into the community with projects and charities. A lot has changed for the city and the franchise over the years, but Kevin Durant’s legacy remains unchallenged, and there will always be a connection between his career and some of the best moments in Oklahoma City history.
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