Kevin Durant Talks LEAVING OKC Thunder & OWNING the Sonics! | Boardroom Cover Story
You were in Oklahoma City for nine years and it now is starting to really like dawn on me when I see how good they are now how do you feel when you see them like back to being like a team like does it make you think of you guys at all no
I mean I knew the leadership there was smart enough to figure out uh how to continue to build the brand for one and then build the team you know I when you have your first entry into the NBA is San prey you got great players like Russ James myself Sergey Baka you got
Veterans like perk you know and as a young GM Sam was like 30 when he was a GM I didn’t realize that I mean when I got 30 and I start n i was 19 at the time but he was 30 years old as a GM in
The NBA that’s say so he was going through we all were going through this maturation process and just figuring out what it is to be in the NBA and in these positions and I and I kind of knew how smart s was that he’ll figure it out you
Know you know what I’m saying and but the the craziest part is like seeing the city itself cuz when I first got there it was like one skyscraper building that many hotels it wasn’t much going on downtown it was it was just a raw City that hasn’t been exposed to like it feel
Like it was exposed to the rest of the country and now you go there they got they have Resort Hotels they got you know multipool uh skyscraper buildings you know and building towards eventually having an allstar game there which does so much for a city you know what I’m
Saying so I look at my time in OKC from that perspective uh because we help build a city up more so than just build a fan base for basketball I felt like we built up the core and the culture of what this town is going to be about you
Know and all of that stuff comes together and I realize what it’s like not having a team in your Market as opposed to having one you know so for us to be expansion and do what we doing now to see where they are now I feel a part
Of it I had never seen like a connection like fans and players had like I had seen in Oklahoma City where when I walked in the people at the like concession or the people that were taking your ticket felt like they were your family right yeah but I feel like
The thing was you did grow up with that City and that city grew up with you and it felt like a family loss and it was bigger than basketball and the Warriors part of it was just like all right that’s that’ll add to the fire but it
Was really that this family had to separate yeah and and and I understood that and I didn’t underestimate people’s feelings about me not being a part of that family anymore I took that in and gave it thought and understood what it meant and gave people their space and
Time to process it how they processed it and then we have a conversation later but I respected how real those feelings were and how real real that family we built were and and I think regardless of me having that Jersey on it’s going to still feel that way because OKC now is
Done what how many years now 15 16 years of his existence that really are into the alumni now and I can feel that when I go back I can feel that talking to my former teammates and that make me feel proud because like we really started that organization off and that just goes
That’s a testament to everybody there cuz they built that family we all did but it was it was encouraged every day that like yo this is this is who we is this is who we are when we come to Oklahoma City only sports major sports t uh sports franchise in the city
Everybody’s riding around us in the whole state it felt that way and you know what it’s going to age really well I think so too and even though it was rough for me with the fan base and some of the people that worked in the organization for a year or two it was
Rough but when I started to reflect on it it was just like it was special what we did regardless of championships or not I think that building a culture a so fast like we did and and and building a a core fan base not just in OK Oklahoma
Around the world I see people who still Thunder fans from those days that meant a lot so clearly can’t compare to Oklahoma City and speaking of jerseys your Sonic Jersey is all over the world but like Austin Texas your connection to Seattle is ill I’m just going to ask you
Straight up do you want to be a part of the Seattle superponics if it if it was available to you at some point in your life without a doubt without a doubt I feel like that franchise for one is an iconic brand within the NBA uh I feel like that market is a
Basketball Market that needs uh the influence of the NBA team um in that City that that so of continue and Inspire that City and bring and produce more and more basketball players cuz I believe that I believe if a city has the NBA team you’ll get more and more kids
Inspired to want to become NBA players as opposed to not having a team and it’s a franchise I played for so I have some pride for it so and I believe it will be back I believe it will be a part of expansion in the league
And to help run the team and help guide the team as they do as they come back into the league I would absolutely love that and you know when I retire obviously would that’s a dream come true that’s probably one of the only things that I
Would um really lock in like I would you know like I was playing again you know it it would feel close to that and I know that you could truly walk in to a franchise and I bet you our good friend Bob Myers would ATT test because he’s had countless hours of conversations
With you about basketball I start I mean I always enjoy watching other players even in high school I always followed what I liked and and and players in my class and players that were coming out of high school after me I always kept my
Eye on them but I think once I got the OKC and me and Troy Weaver who’s a GM of Detroit now we started having these little conversations just about players in college and high school what he seen out of players and we had these conversations periodically and I was
Just always interested in those so every chance I get to bring him to the side to just talk about a game or a player oh I would do it and and that’s just started to build up my like eye for the game you know the different things I started to watch the
Details I started to F you know watching throughout the game and then each team I went to I built that relationship with every GM Bob Meyers with uh Shawn Mars uh with uh with Josh botstein James Jones right now like we just talk ball and I think having that convers those
Conversations over the last 15 years has helped shape my mind to understand what it takes to be a professional on top of my own experience as a professional so I feel like yeah I can add value to any franchise just based off of my my you know just learning over
Time my experience as an individual player in this league as well and just and just having the will to do something you know so it’s always been fun evaluating and seeing where the game is going
NBA powerhouse Kevin Durant sits down with his longtime partner Rich Kleiman for a candid discussion in this exclusive Boardroom Cover Story. From the Texas Longhorns to the Phoenix Suns, Rich and KD discuss the trajectory of their careers + friendship. The two delve into their origins at a Jay-Z concert catalyzed by Grammy-nominated rapper Wale, and remark on Durant’s aspirations of being part of a future Seattle Supersonics ownership team. They discuss the highs and lows of KD’s career. Reflecting on his journey from the Oklahoma City Thunder to his career-altering Achilles injury with the Golden State Warriors. Durant opens up about LeBron James’ longevity, his place in the NBA GOAT conversation, and his evolving perspective on teams like the New York Knicks. Lastly, the two discuss the upcoming Olympics in Paris, which players he’s looking forward to playing 1v1 against, and why he thinks players like Cooper Flagg and Anthony Edwards have big futures in the league. Tune in for an unfiltered glimpse into the mind of one of basketball’s greatest.
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22 Comments
KD is a OKC thunder legacy in my eyes. First because he is the reason why I switched from being a Lakers fan to a Thunder fan. For me, KD, Russ, and Collison are the fundamental stones of the Thunder and are still part of our legacy. It was like they were growing along with the city and the okc organization. I do remember OKC being "bare". I saw how the franchise helped the city grow. It was a big blessing. Game nights would bring the whole city together. At work the workers and customers would be listening to the radio. 😊 Good memories 👍.
There is a thin line between love and hate, and all those people that were super upset when KD when he left, I bet they were hard core fans of KD. I know I personally only lost respect for KD when be spoke bad about OKC. I think I might have even called him a cupcake once…😒yes, I am guilty of being petty …🙄ok, maybe twice.
Although, times have changed, KD has had his own experience as a player and as a business man and it shows. I respect that. To me KD doesn't have to prove anything and shouldn't care what anyone says about him. He is one of the best players and there is no denying that. He was an important part of Oklahoma's history and will always be.
u guys really helped putting okc on the map not just with basketball but just in the community with the family atmosphere you guys built with the Christmas shopping when there was the tornadoes in Moore you guys came to help out and from the basketball sense you guys built that culture and growing up watching that was truly amazing and as a okc fan im still forever grateful Kevin thank you🐐
KD if youre reading this, you need to detox. I can hear the mucus in your sinuses
As long as he knows we still love Russ more, we're cool
KD talked OKC up. I don’t think he has any ill will towards the thunder. I could see him coming back in the tail in of his career now that they are championship contenders.
Hot Take: he should’ve left OKC as soon as they rebranded from being the Sonics
We gotta retire his jersey, he was the first thunder MVP
Time passes fast I remember He got drafted bye Settle Supersonic
as a thunder fan, kd will always be my goat. became an okc fan because of him. i hope he returns to okc one day and bring a championship to the city
😃👍 Come play in TORONTO KD. We the NORTH Love ya baby!
😵💫BECOME A RAPTOR…😵💫
“Without a doubt” bring back the Sonics. Silver late
Really enjoyed this video. While all Oklahomans were emotional about the way he left, it’s very good to hear his explanation of playing for us!!
Plot twist, this is prepping for a "family reunion" 👀
From Oklahoma and he's not lying about how they transformed the city financially and it gave us excitement no matter what age, color we rode for those thunder soon people will wake up to this new era
Kevin Durant listen bro I told you if you get kai Jones Kevin knox you will have a championship team go to Jones and get you some guys that will help at that power forward spot and don't trade udoka azubuike because he can guard AD Damion Lee nassir little wavied
KD is corny! No love for him in OKC. Let those 73-9 GSW chips validate you 🤡
KD needs to go back to OKC and win a chip like LeBron did in Cleveland 😅
yoooooooooooooooooooo
Kevin Durant be a leader and tell James Jones get two guys that can help ish wainwright is not going to help kD in the paint get me Kevin knox and kai Jones James Jones would get them guys if Kevin say something
I’m a Thunder fan and still love KD!!!
KDs legs are mad long
Naw the flames went out on durant jersey just like his fake sympathy for okc. He put in his work, but the truth came out in his actions. He chases championships, he don't make them. So watch out Seattle when that stock drops and lose a invester. Y'all know who will be the first to jump chip and chase someone elses.