Kevin Durant is more than just one of the best basketball players of his generation, he’s a basketball superfan. Not many NBA players follow hoops like Durant does, often being seen in attendance at WNBA games and games in Europe.
His former teammate and current Zalgiris Kaunas guard Edmond Sumner spoke to Jonas Leksas of BasketNews and revealed that Durant once said to him that he wants to come and play in Europe when he’s done with the NBA.
“He might pop up, man. I like KD. He was a great teammate and a great person. Hopefully, he gets here. He always says when he’s done with the NBA, he wants to come over here and play. So, let’s see if that actually happens. But I believe it, though, because he just loves ball, like that’s all he cares about.”
Durant has a few former teammates tearing it up in Europe right now who could sing the praises of the league. One of them is Mike James, who also played on the Nets alongside Durant and has excelled since moving from the NBA to Europe. Another one is Serge Ibaka, who’s currently playing at Bayern Munich.
We also saw NBA players like Kendrick Nunn and Kemba Walker make the switch to Europe this summer.
For now, it doesn’t look like KD is close to being done with the NBA. He’s under contract for three more seasons with the Phoenix Suns, and the franchise is aggressively pursuing a championship already. But if Durant can complete his NBA goals in the next three seasons in Phoenix, it would make sense for him to play out his twilight in Europe, where the style is different and emphasizes team basketball over individual brilliance.
Kevin Durant Once Teased A Move To Barcelona
It wouldn’t be shocking to see Durant seek new pastures and decide to move to Europe to play the final years of his career. He had teased a move to Europe in 2019, right before he started his stint with the Brooklyn Nets, saying he would want to retire while playing for Spain’s Barcelona.
“I would like to play my last year at Barca. The EuroLeague is the second-best league in the world.”
Durant would fit in well at the Blaugarana, who claim players such as Pau Gasol and Nikola Mirotic as recent club legends. However, Durant splashed water on the idea in 2022.
“I was excited at the time, years before I had won the championship (2017 and 2018). I was playing really well, and I guess you think a little bit about the end when you reach your pinnacle as an NBA player, and I said something crazy like that.”
Kevin Durant to @Canyameridis71 on if he still wants to retire by playing his career out in Barcelona as he once told Serge Ibaka in 2019:
“I was thinking about the end a little bit. I’d said something crazy. I love watching the EuroLeague… but I really doubt that happens.” pic.twitter.com/TJXEBeCovG
— Adam Laskaris (@adam_la2karis) December 17, 2022
Watching Durant hoop in Europe will be the ultimate experience for many pure basketball fans who appreciate the style of play in Europe as more challenging compared to the NBA. After all, NBA superstars such as Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo have openly claimed it’s easier to score in the NBA.
Putting Durant in Europe and seeing how one of the best scorers in NBA history performs in this challenging atmosphere would be amazing, but Durant won’t make close to the $53.2 million he’ll get with the Suns in the final year of his contract.
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