(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Even though they weren’t able to win a championship, Kevin Durant’s tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder organization was far from a failure.
From entering the league as the second-overall pick to helping smooth the transition from Seattle to Oklahoma, Durant and the team’s rising stars helped them contend from almost day one.
That played a huge part in how big of a fan base the team has nowadays even despite being one of the youngest franchises in the league.
The Thunder reached the NBA Finals with Durant, Russell Westbrook, James Harden, and Serge Ibaka still learning the ropes of the game, and they fell short of their goal.
A lot has transpired ever since, but the Thunder are slowly working their way back to contention, with multiple young stars proving to be ahead of schedule in their development.
That’s why Durant himself had plenty of praise for the team’s young guys, praising their size and handles and going as far as to say that he wishes he would’ve had that kind of supporting cast during his days in OKC.
“They got three or four guys 6-7, 6-8 that can handle the ball. I wish I would’ve had that.”
– KD on OKC’s young core
(Via @joe_mussatto ) pic.twitter.com/RL3jrcEr1M
— NBACentral (@TheNBACentral) April 3, 2023
Notably, Durant once threw his OKC teammates under the bus, using a burner account to state that he could’ve never won with ‘those cats.’
He did get to play alongside two MVPs and scoring champions and a two-time blocks leader, so it’s not like he didn’t have more than enough help in Oklahoma, though.
So, having Durant’s blessing might as well be the ultimate praise for Sam Presti, or it could be another uncalled-for shot at his former teammates.
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