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Houston Rockets newest superstar, Kevin Durant, gave an eye-opening statement on NBA fans' sports betting fails amid the Malik Beasley probe. The investigation into the Pistons' shooting guard has renewed the conversation of gambling in sports as it continues to become more popular. Meanwhile, the future Hall of Famer is with a new team after two and a half years in Phoenix. The Houston Rockets are coming off a terrific second season under head coach Ime Udoka, and their championship window is officially open.
Even though he's 36 years old, Kevin Durant is still a top 20 player in the league and capable of being part of a championship core. During his 17-year career, KD has witnessed sports gambling legalization in multiple states, giving fans a new stake in the NBA. Kevin Durant discussed sports betting and fan pressure in a recent event with FanDuel CEO Christian Genetski and sportscaster Kay Adams. The 15-time All-Star, who has shown a tendency sometimes to clown avid sports bettors over Twitter, detailed the pros and cons of the industry's rise.
“I want to see you succeed in your sports betting, and a lot of people are just emotional when they put these sports bets in, and a lot of times they’re not doing the research. You should look at the matchups, the schedule, you know. So I’m just holding people accountable on Twitter. They enjoy it, it’s a part of the experience. Like I said, the fan and player experience. They get to get heckled by me.
I mean the experience has just gotten better and better for each fans. I mean the in-game experience, the teams are building incredible facilities to house these games. You get to be a part of the game by sports betting now. I mean just experience overall, it's brought the fan closer to the court, to the field. It’s pros and cons to everything but it's it's added a lot of benefits to the game.”
Even with his social media tendencies, KD is a model pro who fits the DNA of this Rockets team. He will be joining a young Houston team composed of Alperen Sengun and Amen Thompson. The two 22-year-olds are still a few years from their respective primes, but have already displayed their staggering upside throughout the 2024-2025 season.
The combination of KD and either of those two players in a potential pick-and-roll is just going to allow Thompson and Sengun to be in four-on-three situations off the short roll constantly. The offensive ceiling of this elite defensive team has been significantly raised, and the Rockets will enter the 2025-26 season as a serious threat to the Oklahoma City Thunder's repeat.
