Kevin Durant's return to Seattle was indeed a memorable one for the Golden State Warriors superstar. Despite being a preseason game, the energy inside Key Arena never wavered especially when Durant, the now-defunct Seattle SuperSonics' second overall pick in 2007, touched the ball.
The hype was off the charts that even before Golden State's matchup against the Sacramento Kings tipped off, Durant was already drowned in a sea of love from fans who once held on to dreams of him bringing a championship to their city one day.
Very cool pregame scene in Seattle. Kevin Durant swarmed by Sonics fans, chats with some of the diehards he remembers from back in the day (and Spencer Hawes, wearing a Space Needle tie). pic.twitter.com/Wax2tBZ9PO
— Anthony Slater (@anthonyVslater) October 6, 2018
Seattle is one of the best basketball cities the NBA has ever catered to, making the void of an NBA team an utter injustice ever since the Sonics were moved to Oklahoma City in 2008. Warriors head coach Steve Kerr — who himself had fond memories of the city from his Chicago Bulls days when they battled the Sonics in the 1996 NBA Finals — even stated that the Sonics' departure was one of the dark spots in the league's history.
Durant addressed the crowd before tip-off while wearing the jersey of Seattle legend Shawn Kemp. The Warriors, meanwhile, manhandled the Kings, 122-94, with Kevin Durant exploding for 26 points to go along with six rebounds, seven assists, and one steal.
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