KEVIN DURANT on Olympics, Team USA & the reported trade talk from SUNS | Yahoo Sports

KEVIN DURANT on Olympics, Team USA & the reported trade talk from SUNS | Yahoo Sports

Katie this is your fourth Olympic Games will this be your last somebody just asked me I don’t know I don’t want to I don’t know U I’m just going to enjoy this one stay in the present have some fun along the way you know we’ll see do you feel like this one is a little different than the previous ones just because of the star power the expectations you know what I mean nah I ain’t going lie there expectations every time we step on the court we can’t lose a game we you know no matter who’s on the team so I think expectations is always going to be there I mean it’s it’s it’s it’s definitely a deeper team that I think I’ve played on deepest team I’ve played on since I’ve been with usab u from top to bottom everybody is the guy on their team you know I think we had a lot of last couple last year I mean the last Olympics we had a couple younger you know role players in the league that grinded their way up in Camp and and got that opportunity which was cool but they wasn’t like the best players on it you know what I’m saying like these guys are Hall of Famers allar you know so I’m excited about this you know I think the experience in 21 um help the culture of USA be and what what type of team we need to be if we want to continue to dominate and I think we’re kind of we’re bringing that into this group which is going to be fun will it be different playing with Steph playing for Steve cerry just the dynamic the familiarity that you guys have do you think it’ll be any different no I think I think it’ll be I think it’ll be a seamless easy transition since we did it before you know um I know I know what Steph likes the ball I know his game he knows my game Steve knows my game as well and I like I know what he wants out of his players too so I think it’ll be easy now last time we saw you you guys were playing Minnesota in the first round you and ant were going back and forth yeah it seemed like you appreciate that part that Moxy from someone like that cuz you were once in his position yeah yeah I mean it ain’t just cuz it’s ant like you make a couple good plays and you know that’s just the nature of the game is to you know have that dialogue you know communication is all we always talking on the floor so uh and I respect that at players who come out there and you know they say something they going to prove and that’s what he did in that series he played his he played his ass off you know he gained so much respect we always have respect for him but just went to another level just playing against and seeing him compete and when we we both competing for something you know that’s important you know so yeah I respected it I just could I couldn’t say much back but just try to go down there and do my thing I mean there was once upon a time not that long ago you were the young guy that was coming for the crown and is there a part of you that kind of respects the circle of life in a way you know of some somebody kind of trying to take it from you yeah I just know how that stuff goes it’s like no taking nothing like you know what I’m saying like you can meet me there you know what I mean you can like get to that level but it’s like you can’t take what I’ve done from me you know you can beat beat me in a game you know in a series or something that’s cool but like you know the stuff that I’ve acquired since being in this league like you could just match it and I think at’s going to be one of those players that’s going to match it like instead of like saying I took something from Kobe what can I take from the greats like that already accomplished anything so it’s more so just like wanting to be on that level that they were on and Anon is a student of the game and he’s a sponge he got a high IQ I didn’t realize that too he got a high IQ for the game so he’s going to be on that level and I I wouldn’t necessarily say he’s like taking anything from anybody I think he’s just putting that work every day we can say that you took a torch from Kobe no I didn’t take anything Kobe when you beat somebody in the playoff series that don’t mean cuz he got five champ didn’t mean nothing we lost that we lost that year we a win the championship that year so woman celebrate a second round win cuz it’s Kobe Bryant yes n that’s that’s what it is I don’t I a have him in that pedesto like that you know what I’m saying I don’t got like we once we on the same court playing against each other like just another win it’s cool like when y’all say it like damn you beat Coe Bryan and but I don’t even think about like that you know what I’m saying I know how tough it is and the only win that matter is the last one you know so um and I think that’s what the approach ant got to it like yes it’s cool that you beat somebody that you you know you’ve been watching when you was a kid but after that was over guarantee you he pissed more about losing to Dallas you see what I’m saying like he not walking around say we beat KD in them though right right right you see what I’m saying like I don’t even think he on that type of you know time you know what I’m saying so I think that’s what NBA you know people don’t realize about NBA players like these dudes only care about winning that last game n you guys haven’t won the last game since you’ve gotten the Phoenix that’s been some talks some turmoil whatever you want to call it do you pay attention were you online on draft night when everybody was saying C it’s hard not to hear what they got to say about you you know what I’m saying it’s like yeah cuz especially then you could just make up lies like everybody going to believe you like you could just press the KD want the leave button anytime you want some attention you think it’s a button yes it’s a for sure a button what you what else is going to get people going around this time besides oh the the the the journey man is leaving again that storyline gonna always hit you know the people you know what I’m saying that’s why they send you the alerts on ESPN on your phone oh KD is thinking about leaving that’s how big that story is which is whack cuz I’m been talking to Phoenix every day all you know since the season ended like our our GMS coaches everybody we’ve been locked in so it’s like to say hear somebody say well Phoenix does Phoenix wants to get out of the KD sweep something like sitting there like where is this coming from so yeah I don’t that it bothers me it bothers me that people it bothers me that people lie like that and it bothers me that the audience eats up lies not necessarily the headline because I know it’s false and I know the relationships but I I I get sad when people buy into lies or just make up that’s just it’s deep it’s bigger than ball at that point for me you know what I’m saying yeah and but I can’t control that you know I feel for people I don’t want you to even like yeah you know cuz that’s a bad practice to have when you just believe anything for one when you just believe whatever you see on TV and then there it’s another bad habit when you just lying you know what I’m saying and it takes away from I would suppose like just the aesthetic of the game like watching you play if that’s the first thing in someone’s mind is where’s Katie going next exactly everybody language you know what I mean I’m like don’t let that blind you from like what I’m doing on the basketball court cuz that could irritate you as a fan like damn leaving again but it’s like yo I ain’t even like even if I do leave am I playing good basketball though like what what matters that does it matter that I got a jersey on or like or is it like the basketball I’m playing so that that’s some of that stuff get frustrating for cuz I want the fan I want better for the fans I want them to enjoy the experience but when you thinking about narratives and lies like that that’s the game nowadays yeah I like I like damn I G is is is way more pure and more beautiful than that you know let try to look past that and focus just on the game like some of this stuff is out your control and some of this it’s just lies so you’ve been a champion and nobody can take those away from you how much do winning another one mean to you or is it about playing the game at the way that you want to play it with people you want to play you know not taking away I don’t want to win again but where does that that desperation rank for you it’s just it’s not it’s a lot of things factor in why I want to play the game of basketball or why I keep playing and obviously winning every game I play is important playing with good people playing the right way that’s important being at the top of my game that’s important like all this lot of stuff that factor in why I keep playing the game at basketball so yeah yeah of course I want to win the championship um of course I want to play well every game like I don’t even have to talk about that type of stuff uh but yeah so you know you know it’s fulfilling getting up to play every day and whatever happens on on top of that it’s cool it could be frustrating not winning of course but that’s a beauty of being in it’s going to be that e and flow but when I get when you get out of it and you understand what you been through and you can look back on some and really appreciate that grind that’s that’s that’s the beauty of sports professional sports it ain’t going to always be like that you know what I’m saying you win play 82 games you play 100 games sometimes you ain’t winning 100 games yeah you know so it’s going to be es and flows and that’s the Bea beuty of it last question for you you hitting a milestone birthday coming up soon 36 you’re not going to say that’s means you’re in your late 30s you’re no longer M 30s you’re right how much longer do you want to play will you stop playing when it’s when I’m no longer Kevin Durant the 30o scorer will you will you be happy being a role player like what will determine that for you I’m a role player I’ve been a role player when always played a role my my whole career my whole last I’m so good at basketball cuz I know how my role it may need me to do this one time one possession they may me need me to do that I may need to bring the ball up I may need to guard the best player I may need to hit a three so I can tap in and roll at any time am I going to play it’s about how many minutes how shots I’m gonna get and I’m cool with I just love to play the game like I said if it’s a good situation if I’m still joying the game of basketball my goal is to play this to the wheels for off whatever Ro that is you know what I’m saying so we’ll see

Yahoo Sports senior NBA reporter Vincent Goodwill sat down with the superstar forward at USA Basketball men’s national team camp in Las Vegas to discuss the reports that the Phoenix Suns would consider dealing the 14-time NBA All-Star.

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