Kevin Durant got into the NBA when the Thunder organization, formerly based in Seattle, drafted him in 2007. After the team became the Oklahoma City Thunder a year later, KD emerged as the franchise player, turning them into legitimate contenders and winning MVP honors for leading them to the Finals. But as good as his time in the Sooner State was, the fallout has been just as bad, destroying what was once a special relationship.
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In 2016, Durant left to join the Warriors, the same team that had just knocked them out of the playoffs. Fans weren’t happy, especially since he instantly found success, winning two rings in the Bay alongside Stephen Curry, Draymond Green, and Klay Thompson.
It marked a major stain on Durant’s relationship with OKC, and it’s something that simply can’t be ignored every time he returns to play in the city that was once his home. Now with the Houston Rockets, with whom he signed this offseason, his 2025–26 season opener takes place in Oklahoma City. Naturally, the intrigue is piqued.
When a reporter during a media scrum asked Durant if he was excited to see anyone from his old stomping grounds, including workers at the arena, the 15-time All-Star had a simple answer.
“No,” the two-time NBA champ responded, almost as if he didn’t want to acknowledge the question in the first place.
Reporter: Going back to OKC, are there any people in the arena, employees, anyone that you like to see when you go back to the arena?
Kevin Durant: No
(h/t @funakistats)pic.twitter.com/w9GalkDrtQ
— Fullcourtpass (@Fullcourtpass) October 18, 2025
To be fair, at least Durant was being honest. At this point, he doesn’t have any blind loyalty to the Thunder or their fans. He’s made that clear on social media, where he’s become a very skilled troll. One person on X (formerly Twitter) asked him back in August where his mindset would be for the Thunder opener, since he’d have to watch them raise a banner after he abandoned them.
“Finally. It’s been 10 years, bout time they win one lmaooo,” he wrote back, which led to him getting a ton of negative feedback. It was clear that KD was just pressing some people’s buttons. Hopefully, he doesn’t let it become his entire existence.
Durant’s dwindling love affair with the Thunder
What’s funny is that Durant used to be 100% ride-or-die for the Thunder. Back in 2014, the same year he won MVP, he told this to The Washington Post: “I’m one of those guys that would love to stick it out with one team my whole career. I love it here, and I would love to get my jersey retired here.”
That’s not all. In the same interview he even mentioned how proud he was to represent such a small market franchise. “I love playing for Oklahoma City, man. There’s just a certain level of pride that I have when I play with that Oklahoma City on my chest. So that’s the only thing I’m focused on.”
Today, it’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the man who led Oklahoma City to its first NBA title earlier this year, who insists he loves living in the city and representing this small but incredibly passionate fanbase.
Shai will go up against KD in a few days, and the drama leading into this opener will be at an all-time high. KD will enter OKC much like a heel in professional wrestling, soaking in the boos and looking to break a lot of hearts.
Whether he can is a different story. The Rockets are a stacked team, but the defending champs are just as strong as they were a season ago. The Western Conference is going to be a shootout this year, and this opener should set the stage for everything great about the NBA.
