'What a talent': Kevin Durant contacts Bob Myers on stepping down as Warriors president, GM

So that’s where Phoenix Suns superstar duo Kevin Durant and Devin Booker have been.

Bob Myers said Durant contacted him from Monaco on the news that he’s stepping down as president of basketball operations and general manager of the Golden State Warriors.

“Durant called me today,” Myers said to a group of reporters Tuesday at Chase Center in San Francisco. “He was in Monaco. What he did for us, showing up here, knowing what he would hear about when he made that decision; for him to have that courage.”

A video surfaced a few days ago of Durant and Booker at a party with hip-hop artist Rick Ross and MMA legend Conor McGregor in Monaco.

“Icons in the building,” shouted Ross as his voice could be heard in the background while the camera was on Durant and Booker. “Icons, pay homage.”

Durant left Oklahoma City for Golden State, won back-to-back NBA titles (2017, 2018) and finals MVPs, and was a huge part of three straight trips to the finals in his three years there.

“Remember (Warriors owner) Joe (Lacob) and I were on the phone with him right before he decided, and you could tell he knew what might be coming down his road if he came to us, and for him to do it, and to completely deliver on everything that you would want: two finals MVPs; taking us to three finals appearances, two championships,'' Myers said.

Durant had a season ending Achilles injury in the 2019 finals the Warriors lost to Toronto.

“What a talent,” Myers added. “What a great – if you like basketball, watching him and Steph (Curry) and these guys play, that was – I'd do that for free.”

Durant missed the entire 2019-20 season in Brooklyn recovering from the injury. He then played two full seasons with the Nets and was in the middle of a third one when the Suns traded Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder, four first round picks and a pick swap to Brooklyn for T.J. Warren and Durant right before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.

The fourth-seeded Suns reached the West semifinals before losing to No. 1-seeded Denver in six games.

Now Durant will enter next season with a full training camp and new head coach with expectations to compete for a championship in Phoenix.

The Suns fired Monty Williams two days after that 25-point Game 6 loss.

Durant certainly left his mark at Golden State as Lacob praised Myers for landing him.

“You know, we lost that horrible (finals) series in 2016 (to Cleveland), up 3-1,” said Lacob to a group of reporters Tuesday.'

“Hard to even think about or talk about it to be honest with you. I won't say a lot other than Bob Myers was on the job pretty fast. It all worked out; it would not have happened. We would not have had those next two championships if Bob had not done what he did and work an incredibly difficult -- he was the key guy. It was his idea and his execution.”

Durant signed with the Warriors as a free agent after the Thunder blew a 3-1 lead in the conference semifinals to Golden State.

Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.

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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Kevin Durant calls Bob Myers from Monaco on stepping down as Warriors GM