Golden State Warriors All-Star forward Kevin Durant didn’t miss any of the
fireworks his offseason decision last summer made in the world of social media.
His move in free agency from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Warriors stirred
up plenty of emotion from a variety of folks.
Yet as his Warriors sit one win from an NBA Finals berth, Durant says he has no
regrets about his choice. If the Warriors can knock off the San Antonio Spurs in
Game 4 tonight (9 ET, ESPN), Durant will make his first Finals trip since 2012
with Oklahoma City. In an interview with Marc J. Spears of The Undefeated,
Durant opens up about his move to Golden State, that 2012 Finals run and more:
After a five-year hiatus, Durant is one win shy from returning to the NBA Finals
with the Warriors. The Warriors can advance to their third straight Finals by
defeating the San Antonio Spurs in Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals on
Monday night. And with all due respect to his nine successful seasons with the
Oklahoma City Thunder franchise, the 2014 NBA Most Valuable Player has no
regrets about his decision to depart as a free agent to the Warriors last
offseason, regardless of what the near future holds.
“I made the 100 percent correct decision, win or lose,” Durant told The
Undefeated after the Warriors’ practice at AT&T Center in San Antonio on Sunday.
“I feel like this is the place I was supposed to be. I appreciate everything
I’ve done before this. But I’m here now, and I feel like it’s a great spot for
me to be.
“This is where I am supposed to be at this point of my life. I’m taking it on
and conquering every part of it. I’m enjoying every single step.”
…
Toward the end of Durant’s 19-point third quarter versus the Spurs in Game 3,
The Durant Company manager Rich Kleiman tweeted what he believed was a needed
reminder about Durant.
“Sometimes I think people forgot,” Kleiman said on his Twitter account
@richkleiman.
So, what was Kleiman referring to?
“He hears the noise. He hears all of that stuff. He’s aware about what goes on
in the Twittersphere, media and all that stuff,” Durant said. “I tried to tell
him not to look at that. He watches [ESPN’s] First Take and all these shows. I
try to tell him not to watch it, but he gets offended. He’s my brother. He gets
offended when my name is not amongst the best players in the league or I don’t
get the credit I deserve, I guess.
“He has my back. He always believes in my ability. Just like any other friend,
he always has my back and he supports me 100 percent.”
…
But even with Finals success, Durant doesn’t think the pessimism will cease from
his haters.
“They are always going to talk,” Durant said. “Nobody is ever going to be happy,
no matter what you do. Definitely, I’ve got a lot of support out here. We get a
lot of support. But someone is always going to discredit anything good that
happens. That’s just life in general. Nobody is ever going to be 100 percent
happy with everything.
“Somebody is always going to disagree. Somebody is always going to discredit.
It’s just a part of life. When you want to do it for each other and for friends
and family, that’s when it’s purer than anything.”
…
Will you be playing for the Warriors next season? (Durant has a one-year player
option for next season with the Warriors paying $27.7 million.)
Yeah. I love it here. I love my teammates. I love the city [of Oakland]. I love
the organization. I love it here. I don’t plan on going anywhere else.
…
What are your memories of the 2012 NBA Finals?
When we went as a team in 2012, I just felt like it was our time. We wanted that
moment. We deserved that moment. It was just a special, special time.
What did you think about the criticism you have received on social media and
from the sports media after deciding to depart the Thunder to rival power Golden
State?
I was more so confused. You can say whatever you want about my decision or who
you think I am. The only thing that matters is in between the lines. I respect
the game. I work hard. I came in and respect my teammates. I respect just the
competitiveness of the game of basketball. That’s in between the lines. I try to
play the right way and handle myself the right way. I am just confused as to why
that stuff doesn’t matter more than what happens on Twitter or whatever the
topic of discussion is each day. I think it takes away from what is most
important: that ball and that basket, everything in between the lines.
I don’t expect anyone who has never been there before to understand that. They
have nothing else to talk about because they don’t really know what it is or
what it feels like to be on the court in an NBA game. I don’t hold it against
them. That’s why I am not mad.
I’m just more so confused that you can be an analyst or an expert, and I want to
talk to the people who disrespect what goes on in between the lines. I respect a
lot of people in [the media] business who really appreciate how hard it is to
get to this point. So, I’m more so confused that [select media] doesn’t talk
about the game of basketball more so than narratives and gossip around
basketball. That’s what I’m more confused about.
