Kevin Durant is currently trying to chase a third NBA title, this time with the Phoenix Suns. And although he won two rings with the Golden State Warriors, that wasn't actually KD's favorite era in his prestigious career.
Speaking on The Boardroom's Aux Money podcast, Durant revealed why his tenure on the Oklahoma City Thunder stands out as the most impactful:
“It has to be that OKC time period because it was like the entry point into all of this, you know what I mean. That's the foundation of everything, so we were young and we were playing against dynasties. We were competing against the Lakers with Kobe when they won a back to back, Dallas when they won a championship, Miami with LeBron and D Wade and all them. So that was the start of it all and I think coming in early, all of us James, me, Russ, Serge, we was all 22, 23 and getting thrown into the fire like that.”
The Seattle SuperSonics selected Durant second overall in the 2007 NBA Draft out of Texas and he played one season in the Pacific Northwest before the franchise relocated to OKC. It was there that KD began to develop into a superstar, helping them make several deep playoff runs alongside Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka.
Durant's Thunder comments are interesting
It's quite interesting that Kevin Durant speaks of the Thunder tenure as his favorite. He seemingly had a feud with Westbrook, which reportedly led to KD jetting for greener pastures with the Warriors. That being said, it also makes sense why Durant was thankful for his time in Oklahoma City. As the legend said, they faced some very good teams at a young age and that prepared KD early. I mean, taking on Kobe Bryant's Lakers, LeBron James' Heat, and Dirk Nowitzki's Mavericks isn't exactly easy. The Thunder clashed with some very, very good teams.
OKC made the NBA Finals in 2011-12 but lost to James and Co. in five games. They also advanced to four conference finals. The one criticism that Durant continues to face is that he's yet to win a title with a team that's “his”. I mean, Steph Curry was always seen as the main focal point in the Dubs' dynasty days. Durant was considered second fiddle.
Then in the Big Apple with the Brooklyn Nets, Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden struggled to stay healthy and that Big 3 experiment never worked out, plus there was drama between Kyrie and The Beard.
Now, the 35-year-old is looking to take the Suns to the Promised Land, but 2023-24 hasn't been pretty. Phoenix is just 47-33 and currently sits in seventh place, which puts them in the play-in tournament. Not exactly ideal for a team with serious title aspirations.
For what it's worth though, Kevin Durant is doing his part, averaging 27.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 5.1 assists on 41.3% shooting from long range. When it comes to the current Thunder squad, they're a force to be reckoned with as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander continued to lead the charge. OKC will head into the playoffs as the second or third seed in the West.
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