As the old adage goes, time, perhaps, really does heal all wounds. In the Golden State Warriors' case, Kevin Durant didn't exactly leave the franchise in 2019 on the best of terms. But four years later, in just Durant's second-ever game at Chase Center, the two-time champion and Finals MVP with the Warriors received an emotional tribute fitting of someone who elevated the team to near-championship inevitability for three straight years.

Prior to tip-off in the Warriors' 2023-24 season opener against Durant's Phoenix Suns, the Dubs showcased a highlight reel full of their former star's greatest hits as a member of the franchise, including the biggest shots he made with the team in the NBA Finals. This shoutout did not go unnoticed for Durant, who took the time to acknowledge the adulation from the fans in Chase Center.

Per Anthony Slater of The Athletic via ClutchPoints Twitter:

There has been a bit of a rekindling of love from both the Warriors franchise and fanbase towards Kevin Durant in recent times. When the topic of Durant's jersey retirement came up, team governor Joe Lacob made sure to point out that as long as he's with the organization, no on else will ever wear Durant's iconic '35' jersey number. And to Lacob's credit, a lot of folks agreed that this was the right decision; even though Durant's stint with the Dubs was fleeting as it can get, he was still part of the greatest iterations of the team, and he made them an unsolvable puzzle for the 29 other teams in the NBA during his stint in Oakland.

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Just last season, the Warriors organization also pondered about re-acquiring Durant way before the Suns swooped in to trade for him from the Nets. It's clear that the Dubs franchise is still open to the possibility of perhaps reuniting with the future Hall of Famer, although that may be nothing more than a pipe dream at this point.

At the very least, it will be a certainty for Durant that he'll see his '35' hanging on the Chase Center rafters alongside the numbers of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and Andre Iguodala.