HOUSTON (AP) — The last time Kevin Durant played for a Texas team, he was a freshman at the University of Texas.
On his 37th birthday on Monday he was officially introduced as a Houston Rocket, returning to the state he’s long been fond of.
“It feels amazing to be back here,” he said at the team’s media day. “I always found my way to Houston throughout the years, just from friends and relationships I’ve built since coming to Texas. So I always felt
that it was a place that I could settle in and live actually… so for this opportunity to come around, it felt natural. It felt right.”
Durant joined the Rockets in July in a blockbuster trade that sent Jalen Green and Dillon Brooks to Phoenix. The 15-time All-Star and four-time Olympic gold medalist joins a young team that aims to take another step this season after finishing second in the Western Conference in the regular season before losing in the first round of the playoffs.
General manager Rafael Stone said Monday that he wasn’t necessarily looking to move on from Green, the No. 2 pick in the 2021 draft, and Brooks, but that it’s rare that a team can add a player of Durant’s caliber.
“There’s just not many people in the history of the NBA who have the capacity to do what Kevin’s done consistently throughout his career,” he said. “And it became an opportunity we couldn’t pass up. So, it really had nothing to do with the guys who moved out. It was much more about Kevin and the desire to bring him in. He’s a singular talent and so we’re very excited.”
And despite adding some veterans in the last couple of years, the Rockets remain a young team and coach Ime Udoka believes being around Durant will aid in the development of Houston’s rising stars such as Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson and Jabari Smith Jr.
“Kevin takes it to another level as far as what he does on the court. But not only that, you understand why he is who he is and how he got to that level by what he does every day,” Udoka said. “And so, I think just our young guys working with him and being around him, that’s it’s really going to pay dividends for our team.”
The 22-year-old Thompson can’t believe he has Durant as a teammate.
“It’s crazy,” he said. “I’ve been watching him my whole life. I never thought I was going to be on the team with him. I didn’t know he was going to be playing at this time."
It turns out that Durant is also a fan of Thompson’s and is eager to play with the youngster.
“I don’t think we ever seen that type of athleticism,” Durant said. “The way he uses his athleticism, I don’t think we have seen that in our league, so to be alongside that, I’m excited.”
Durant, who spent the last 2 ½ seasons in Phoenix, is a four-time scoring champion, a two-time NBA Finals MVP and one of eight players in NBA history with more than 30,000 points. He has one year remaining on his contract before becoming a free agent and said Monday that he hopes to sign an extension with the Rockets.
“I do see myself signing a contract extension,” he said. “I can’t tell you exactly when that will happen, but I do see it happening.”
The excitement of his arrival in Houston is tempered by the recent news that Fred VanVleet will miss the season after tearing his ACL. Udoka said they’ll use the committee approach to replace him, but they’ll certainly need Thompson, who is entering his third season, and Reed Sheppard, the No. 3 pick in 2024, to take a step forward this year to absorb the loss.
Durant is optimistic that they have the talent to succeed with VanVleet out.
“We’ve got high IQ guys on the team that know how to play,” he said. “So now we've got to figure out what’s the best way to mesh on the floor and then start executing from Day 1. So, I’m looking forward to that.”
This will be Durant’s 19th NBA season, but he missed one full year because of injury. He averaged 26.6 points last season and has career averages of 27.2 points and seven rebounds.
He has two NBA titles, was the MVP in 2013-14 and an 11-time All-NBA selection. Considering all his accomplishments, what keeps him motivated to continue the grind with 40 on the horizon?
“I just enjoy the process of perfecting the craft or I enjoy competing against myself every day, like being better than I was the day before,” he said. “That’s fun to me. So, I think as you get older you dive into the details of everything in your life... and it’s just kind of fun to be in that mode. So that’s my peaceful place when I’m perfecting and trying to perfect my craft.”
And he can’t wait to take the court representing the state of Texas again after so many years.
“We always got so much support here from me playing at Texas, so I always felt the love every time I came back to Houston,” he said. “So to put on a Rockets jersey, I know it’s going to go to the next level."
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