Getty Kevin Durant answering questions at Nets Media Day.
Nets forward Kevin Durant considers himself as one of the Bay Area legends. The 2014 NBA MVP helped lead the Warriors to back to back championships in 2017, and 2018, and Durant was named Finals MVP both series.
Kevin Durant was a guest on the All The Smoke Podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson and shared that he stamped his place as a The Bay Area legend next to Joe Montana and Jerry Rice.
“Man, it’s like a different culture – it doesn’t even feel like you’re in California, the Bay is just its own thing. Being there, I just really felt like I stamped myself as a legend in the Bay.” Durant shared that he isn’t necessarily comparing himself to San Francisco 49ers legends Jerry Rice and Joe Montana that actually won in the Bay, but adds, “you got us winning back-to-back in the Bay, it’s like, ‘shit,’ that’s forever, so I’m really proud of that.”
Kevin Durant did acknowledge that when his career is finished, he will look back and appreciate his time in the Bay Area. He also noted that he will one day hit the golf course with Stephen Curry and reminisce of their three years together in Oakland.
“I learned a lot about the game of basketball, I learned a lot about teamwork and camaraderie that I didn’t know,” said Durant. ” The respect I got for Steph and Klay. One day I’m gonna be playing golf with Steph at some point in my life… talking about these three years and that run we had in The Bay.”
Kevin Durant would be traded to the Brooklyn Nets this past offseason along with a protected 2020 first-round draft pick in exchange for D’Angelo Russell and Shabazz Napier and forward Treveon Graham going back to the Golden State Warriors.
On Tuesday afternoon, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Golden State has agreed to trade D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota for a deal that includes Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 protected first-round pick and a 2022 second-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Warriors will send Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman to Timberwolves too.
Golden State has agreed to trade D’Angelo Russell to Minnesota for a deal that includes Andrew Wiggins, a 2021 protected first-round pick and a 2022 second-round pick, league sources tell ESPN. Warriors will send Jacob Evans and Omari Spellman to Timberwolves too.
He would continue:
Timberwolves 2021 pick protected to No. 3, and becomes unprotected in 2022, per sources. Minnesota kept pushing for Russell, who it has wanted since summer, free agency, and finally got the point guard Gerssson Rosas imagined pairing with KAT, Wojnarowski tweeted.
Wojnarowski would later report Shabazz Napier would end the day in Washington, DC, as he was sent to the Wizards for Jordan McRae of the Denver Nuggets.
Washington has traded Jordan McRae to Denver for Shabazz Napier, league source tells ESPN.
Wilkins also shared what Durant needs to do to get back to All-Star form.
“What he has to do is get over the shock of tearing his Achilles. He has to have time to heal from an emotional standpoint. But once that happens and you go through surgery, then you got to get to a point where, okay, how fast do I get back? But what type of things do I need to do to rehab this Achilles as far as getting back to the level I once was? It took me nine months to a year,” said Wilkins.
“It’s about the hard work you put in. Knowing Kevin like I know Kevin, he is a hard-working guy. He loves the game, and when you’re that committed to the game, he’ll do whatever it takes to get back. I have no doubt in my mind that he will do the necessary things to get him[self] back to the level he left. Certain guys, you don’t worry about when it comes to that – and he’s one of them.”