Kevin Durant turned down the notion of the Toronto Raptors being an up-and-coming team in the NBA after the Golden State Warriors suffered a second defeat to them on Wednesday night, this time by a 20-point margin without star player Kawhi Leonard.
“They got veterans over there, I don't understand what you mean with ‘young team,'” Durant told an inquiring reporter. “They got champions over there. They got Danny Green and Kawhi Leonard. They've got guys that have played in big playoff games like Serge Ibaka, Kyle Lowry, Jonas Valanciunas. They're not young players.
“They have a great mix of veterans and young players. They got a new coach, but the leaders of that team have been through some wars, so I wouldn't call them a young team. I wouldn't say that because they've beaten us two times it's going to give them extra confidence, they've brought that before and after they beat us. They're not an up-and-coming team. They're here.”
Strong Kevin Durant quote on the Raptors: “They’re not an up-and-coming team. They here.” pic.twitter.com/935IJ2i3zn
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) December 13, 2018
The Raptors lead the league with a 23-7 record thus far this season, and they have managed to get key wins under their belt throughout the first 30 games of this 2018-19 campaign, making them no longer pretenders, but real contenders for the title.
Toronto's win over Golden State marked the first time they had beaten the Warriors at their home floor since 2004, a mark symbolic of their emergence as a powerhouse in the East, finally breaking through and in one of the toughest and loudest arenas to play in.
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