Kevin Durant says he'll 'never be attached' to Oklahoma City again
Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant doesn’t have plans to return to Oklahoma City when his career is over. Durant said he’ll “never be attached to that city again” during a wide-ranging interview with J.R. Moehringer of the Wall Street Journal.
That was far from the only contentious thing Durant said during the interview. The 30-year-old also discussed hating the NBA and his exit from the Golden State Warriors.
Durant’s harshest comments, however, were reserved for his former city. Durant — who spent eight seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder — said he has no desire to return to the city any time soon after the way he was treated when he left to join the Warriors.
“I’ll never be attached to that city again because of that,” Durant says. “I eventually wanted to come back to that city and be part of that community and organization, but I don’t trust nobody there. That s--- must have been fake, what they was doing. The organization, the GM, I ain’t talked to none of those people, even had a nice exchange with those people, since I left.”
Durant cited fans spray painting “For Sale” signs at his house and burning his jersey as reasons he felt betrayed by Thunder fans. He also described the atmosphere as “venomous” when he returned to Oklahoma City for the first time as a visiting player.
In the piece, Durant also talks about how much he despises the NBA.
“Some days I hate the circus of the NBA,” he says. “Some days I hate that the players let the NBA business, the fame that comes with the business, alter their minds about the game. Sometimes I don’t like being around the executives and politics that come with it. I hate that.”
He also discussed his departure from the Warriors, saying he always felt different there because he wasn’t drafted there and didn’t resurrect his career there. Durant also questioned the team’s strategy in the playoffs, saying the Warriors’ motion offense didn’t work after the first two rounds. Durant said the team would have to mix in individual play, and he wanted the opportunity to hone those skills more often.
It’s unclear when he’ll get that chance for the Nets. Durant is currently rehabbing from a torn Achilles. He’s expected to miss 9-12 months due to the injury.
Until then, Durant will keep pushing himself so he can get back on the court as soon as possible. If all goes well, Durant could be back in time to join the Nets when they travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder in April.
Thunder fans should have quite the reaction to that, especially after Durant’s comments.
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Chris Cwik is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at christophercwik@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @Chris_Cwik
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