In the aftermath of a blowout loss to Oklahoma City on Friday, Kevin Durant opened up on the modern-day Thunder. Clearly impressed by their passion and talent, Kevin explained that what they have going now is similar to what he had there so many years ago.
“They’ve got great talent here. Guys that love to play ball,” said Durant via Duane Rankin. “They’re not too involved with the extra stuff outside of the game. I think that’s what we had as a group when we were here. They got a coach that understands them and understands the game.”
"They've got great talent here. Guys that love to play ball. They're not too involved with the extra stuff outside of the game. I think that's what we had as a group when we were here. They got a coach that understands them and understands the game."
Kevin Durant on OKC. #Suns pic.twitter.com/r88E4D4Zps
— Duane Rankin (@DuaneRankin) March 30, 2024
Kevin Durant has experienced an up-and-down season with the Suns and they’ve struggled to stay above play-in territory thanks to endless injuries and streaky play from the supporting cast. But it wasn’t always like this for the former MVP.
Back in OKC, things were different. After being drafted 2nd overall in 2007, Durant rose to stardom with the Thunder and witnessed the franchise grow from the ground up. Despite still being fresh off the relocation to Oklahoma City, Durant always had his Thunder teams among the top four in the West and they were making deep playoff runs season after season.
Durant did eventually leave the Thunder, and it wasn’t on the best of terms. It was only following the collapse against the Warriors in 2018 that Durant changed course yet again. Even so, he still often looks back fondly on his time with the Thunder and he likes what he sees with their current regime.
While still young and unproven, the Thunder are certainly a team to fear in the West right now and Durant himself is likely going to have to get through them if he wants to advance deep into the playoffs this year.
Oklahoma City Thunder Are Building A Dynasty In The West
Kevin Durant isn’t alone in his feelings about the Thunder this year. Practically every team in the league fears facing them in a seven-game series, and for good reason.
Despite their inexperience, the Thunder are still an incredibly formidable opponent and they’ve proven it this season with consistent play from start to finish. At 51-22, the Thunder rank second in the West and have a chance to secure their first 60-win season since Durant’s departure.
The catalyst behind this performance has been Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who is loudly proving himself to be one of the best guards in basketball. He started the All-Star game over Steph Curry this year and it was well-earned with averages of 30.4 points, 6.3 assists, and 5.6 rebounds per game on 54% shooting.
The addition of Chet Homgren to the lineup has opened up the floor in new ways for Shai and it’s made the offense twice as potent for the Thunder, who rank third overall with an offensive rating of 120.0.
When surrounded by a strong team with depth and a great coach, these young stars can achieve success in the NBA.
And while Kevin Durant is no longer a part of the success there, he will always be a part of their journey and he will never forget the place where it all started for him.
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