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Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant recently sat down with Kerith Burke of NBC Sports for a wide-ranging interview. Amid their discussion, the former No. 2 overall pick was asked about his legacy and the potential of building it somewhere else.
Burke: I’m going to ask you this question, and I know people will interpret it as a free agent question, but with your skills and what you’ve accomplished, do you feel the need to “build something” somewhere else? Do you need that for yourself?
Durant: I don’t need anything in this basketball world to fulfill anything in me. The NBA is never going to fulfill me. It’s going to make me feel good about all of the work that I’ve put in, but I think those days of me wanting to prove something to anybody or walk around with a huge chip on my shoulder is not my thing.
It wasn't before, and I felt like I had to program myself to play with a chip on my shoulder, but I’m never good in that situation. I’m more relaxed and letting these days flow. I’m the best version of me.
I don’t feel like I need anything like that to prove who I am. I’ve been in it for too long.
Durant has racked up several impressive accolades over the course of his career, including 10 All-Star nods, two championships with the Warriors, two Finals MVPs and six All-NBA First Team selections. These accomplishments have vaulted him into superstar status, but he hasn't forgot about his friends and family.
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Durant: Being around family. Being around friends. The people who actually love you deep down to your core, who won’t judge you, who will let you grow mentally, physically, you know? Just let you be who you are. I like those environments.
I love to continue to push the limits on who I am as a person. Just the flow of life and the type of people I want to be around, the environment I want to live in.
All that stuff will fulfill me more so than anything … just building toward something that’s sustained when I’m not even here on this earth. My family could be straight when I die. That’s the type of stuff I tend to think about.
Though he's thankful to the NBA for the opportunity to play in their league, Durant knows he's worked extremely hard to reach this point.
Durant: I know the NBA helped me get there, but I’m not going to be forever indebted to the NBA because this is a 50-50 exchange. I’ve worked hard to get here, to be at this level, and they gave me a platform to showcase what I can do. We both helped each other out. That’s how I look at it.
With Durant, the Warriors have played their way to a 43-19 overall record this season, which is currently good for the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference standings. Whether or not he'll remain with the team beyond this campaign remains to be seen.
