Kevin Durant has had his way with fans and the media alike. He is indifferent to their various tactics of detraction and hate. Now, on his fifth team, the Houston Rockets, Durant is a seasoned veteran when it comes to dealing with them.
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It all starts with how well he handles direct comparison with teammates. Well, it does not bother Durant in the slightest.
“That’s why I reply. Your opinion means nothing, and I HAVE to consistently tell you that. Not just you. Most people on here,” said Durant as a response to a fan on X not too long ago. A perfect symphony of words strung together to showcase just how much he does not care about what the ‘average Joe’ thinks of him.
So, when a ‘fan’ went at him about his place on the Rockets, Durant did not get all too perturbed. “Idgaf what you do [Kevin Durant], you better pass my brother, Amen Thompson, the f***** ball. He is the 1st option, you 2nd,” said user Rachaun Thompson on Instagram.
Well, it was unclear what the relation was between Amen and Rachaun, given that they share the same last name. KD cleared that up, though. “He [Amen] told me he don’t even know you.” As kids would call it these days, Durant didn’t allow himself to get ‘ragebaited’ by Rachaun.
It’s clear that even as a 36-year-old, the 2x Finals MVP is far and away the best offensive option on the Rockets. Amen has shown otherworldly flashes on the offensive end, but isn’t ready to surpass KD as the first option on a championship-contending team in the Western Conference. And Amen knows it as well.
Amen is excited to play with KD
Considering the kind of player Amen is, he would most certainly benefit from playing alongside Durant. A high-flying, uber-athletic, two-way slashing wing is exactly the kind of guy any scoring forward like KD needs by their side in the frontcourt.
“He’s going to make my life a lot easier,” said Amen. “He’s one of the greatest players ever, one of the best scorers ever. Definitely going to be passing it to him a lot. They’re going to be double-teaming him, so I’m going to be cutting off the back of it.”
Durant is one of the best passers into the backcut. Amen, coincidentally, is one of the best backdoor finishers in the NBA. This one play between the two could open up a world of opportunities for the Rockets on the offensive end.
Another nifty stat is that the ‘Slim Reaper’ and Amen led the league in defensive field goal percentage last season (minimum 500 shots defended). Amen was at 40.7% while Durant was right on his tail at 41.1%. So, it is clear that it won’t be just one side of the court where this duo is going to wreak havoc.
