Kevin Durant on his NBA future, career satisfaction, the Phoenix Suns’ success & more | NBA Today

Kevin Durant on his NBA future, career satisfaction, the Phoenix Suns’ success & more | NBA Today

17 years into his career at 35 years old Kevin Durant is still he’s still top five in scoring his dominance on the court it’s impressive but what struck me when we caught up in Indianapolis was just how at peace he seemed and I’ve been lucky right I’ve gotten to

Interview Kevin Durant I don’t know maybe a dozen times mostly in Brooklyn when I was a beat writer and it’s always stood out to me as I’m sure it has to you all at home he replies to folks on social media he he really does seem to care deeply about certain criticisms and

Honestly I can’t blame him but this interview it felt different particularly when we talked about his future how long he wants to play if he’s thinking about when he wants to hang him up and if he envisions Phoenix being the last stop heav Durant he is a stone Cold Shot

Maker step back C this is arguably the greatest score of all time you’re 10th on on the all-time scoring list you will be passing Melo sha Wilt Chamberlain and anything it’s kind of wild when I say that when you think back to when you were younger could you have imagined being in this

Position had that respect from the grace and the actual basketball players that put in the time and the work to make the NBA what it is uh it’s a reason why I get up to work every day match the franchise record for the longest consecutive streak of 30 plus points you

Seem more settled since the last time we talk to you just you seem a little bit more like it’s not that you don’t want to win but it’s I don’t know there’s something there’s something different obviously winning I don’t even have to think about that no more cuz when I step

On the floor that’s just in me already I tend to think about the other detailed parts of the game that’s going to help me get to the win how to be a great teammate how to inject myself into the game at different moments I started to

Think about the small parts of the game and that’s just made it more fun for me instead of thinking about the outcome all the time but does that make you more sort of at peace it seems like with all you’ve accomplished and your legacy as it stands if everything ended right now

Yeah for sure I mean I definitely want everything to just end right now but yeah um I still feel I got energy to play for those waiting for Kevin Durant to slow down is still a bucket I definitely feel older after some games after some stretches

You being around for so long you gained so much experience about the game you see some of the other racing other sports Tom Brady’s the Cy Ripkin and the Derek jeters these guys have played for such a long time and you just get inspired by that and give as much back

To the game as you can and I think you know when you get become older that’s a part of it is giving back and passing stuff down that you learned as well so that goes on top of wanting to win wanting to be the greatest that you can

Be if you want to call it the back nine in my career it just made it even more fun you were 50490 last year so I don’t really see any reason why you couldn’t play into your 40s I mean yeah I can catch and shoot a little bit play a

Little defense be a three and the six man maybe when I’m in my 40s we’ll see do you want to finish your career in Phoenix I mean I’ve been on so many teams now and I said this before right now in this moment today without thinking about the

Next minute yeah but that’s just saying right now and I can’t really predict what may happen but I love planing in Phoenix I love the fan base the city I’m grown to understand what mission is being in the valley and how deep these people care about their team you know so

I started understand the history of the Suns and I’m glad to be a part of it I want to go up in that Ring of Honor one day so I’m having long that takes I appreciated Kevin Durant’s vulnerability there although I’m not sure I can picture him as six man like

He’s saying playing long not yet no maybe a stret forward look he’s still a winning player by any measure that’s fun I stretch for I’m tired I just got that these are his numbers sons of 15 8% of the games he’s played in and what’s Wild is that would actually be the lowest

Mark of Katie’s career second season in Durance won at least 60% of his games played in each of his previous you were the deciding factor perk and perk perk was the deciding factor all his wins huh I’m just saying first time he ever went to the finals you know what I’m saying

He he tested them Waters big fella well I do know that currently he’s still one of the best players in the league and we see what we’re up here yeah we see what you’re doing here in studio on our little hoop that we got here but it’s

Kind of crazy that we still have questions about the Phoenix Suns I know I picked them going to the NBA finals in the the preseason I may or may not have a couple of reservations about that but perk when you hear Kevin Durant talk about yeah today I feel like I’m going

To retire as a Phoenix Sun but don’t hold me to that in two weeks three weeks three months how quickly do you think this window is closing for them I think it’s two years to be honest with you and I think it’s it’s based on the relationship with Kevin Durant and de

Booker and I think the question should be how long do do we see Devin Booker in the Phoenix Suns uniform right because he was part of this T this organization that did go to the NBA finals and I believe none of those guys that were on

That team are on that team right now so when you think about it when you have like this big three Bradley Bill Devin Booker and Kevin Durant you got to capitalize now it’s the same thing when we talk about teams like the Boston Celtics when you have that window of

Opportunity you can’t wait till tomorrow because you don’t know if you’ll ever have tomorrow tomorrow is not promised in the life and it’s not promised in the basketball world so you know Kevin Durant usually I mean we didn’t seen him move around quite a bit yeah and he

Owned that that’s why this season I guess becomes all the more important how do you view that Zach the window open the minute they made the trade it’s an urgent window and it will be a short window just because because of Kevin Durant’s age and Bradley Beal just hasn’t been healthy

They do not have the luxury of time they do not have the luxury of patience they traded everything they had to build this team to turn over a finals team and make it into this and here’s their reality they’re fifth in the west as we enter

The last part of the season they have the hardest remaining schedule in the entire league so if they’re not healthy if Bradley Beal misses more time whatever it ends up being just stay out of the play in is going to be a fight for them and even if they stay in fifth

The chances are that they’re going to have to beat three of the top four teams in the west to get to the finals that is a long hard Road and they have not shown the consistency or availability to make you believe they can do that now they

Still have time and if they’re healthy they can beat anybody but that is a tough tough road ahead I’m going to be more specific I think that KD playing out his contract before he thinks elsewhere would work for him in Phoenix meaning the next two seasons not this

Season you add two more that is their window to win and I don’t think it gets better than having dein Booker as a running mate and I think that’s what he really wanted to invest in those guys when you pair those two up they’re true hoopers and I think Bradley Bill has

Been tough coming back starting the year slower trying to acclimate him in real time and win this year that’s really challenging and and you look at the West I mean not only are the nuggets the returning favorites right I mean the Clippers are coming and then you’ve got teams getting better like the

Timberwolves and the Thunder and so I don’t think that maybe KD estimated that all those things would happen so soon so I’ve got them playing out his contract before he looks elsewhere especially given Optics unfortunately are a part of his narrative right three teams in about five seasons knowing that if this

Doesn’t work out this year they don’t win and then he’s elsewhere I don’t think he’s that type of guy right but that’s what struck me as as different is that I don’t know that he cares anymore he seemed at peace with that yeah if I move again I move again people are going

To say what they’re going to say and that hasn’t been the case uh in the past we have kept receipts on where Kevin Durant has moved around J hard uh we also keep receipts on ourselves on this show so what we’re going to do is we’re just going to take

A little look back because the they have uh some title aspirations but these are our pre-season MBA finals picks zlo you picked the Boston Celtics over the Denver Nuggets any changes changes are we allowed to change how many teams has perk picked to make the finals in the last two seasons

Combined I am standing on business standing on business like perk always says I’m sticking with it I’m going down with the ship just like I did last year with my bucks Clippers pick that didn’t work out I like this pick I’m sticking with it I’m confident well well Zach you

Do know that you can own multiple businesses so I can’t switch up from one business to another I’m switching mine up right I had it wrong I got the B bucks in the Suns I’m going with Celtics Clippers Clippers winning in seven all right okay I’m I’m not switching mine up

Completely but I’m making a small tweak so you’re switching it just slightly you know all right I still have the Nuggets winning I think I had the Bucks before I have the Celtics coming out of the East so I’m going to go nuggets over the Celtics all right yeah you had nuggets

Bucks before um Zach I’m coming over to to your preseason side here I’m going to go Nel we’re not going to talk about your preseason yet uh yeah 2020 I was I was thinking it was going to be a 2021 finals rematch I’m not feeling so good

About that so I’m going to go nuggets over Celtics yeah I’m gonna give a nod I’m G give a nod to the Champs here all [Applause] [Applause] right

On NBA Today, I am joined by Kevin Durant for an exclusive interview on his future in the NBA, how he feels about his career so far, his time with the Phoenix Suns and more. Then, Chiney Ogwumike, Zach Lowe and Kendrick Perkins join to debate how quickly the window is closing for the Suns’ Big Three with KD, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal.

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