Kevin Durant didn’t consider the Wizards when he was a free agent in part because he accomplished everything he set out to do in the D.C. Metro area, Tim Bontemps and Adam Kilgore of the Washington Post relay.
“I don’t want to open up anything in the past, but I really just didn’t want to play at home,” Durant said. “It was nothing about the fans. Being at home, I was so happy with that part of my life — playing at home, being in front of friends, hanging with friends and family every day. That was a part of my life that has come and gone.
“I was like, I’m trying to build a second part of my life as a man living in a different part of the country, just trying to do different things. I did everything I was supposed to do in the D.C.-Maryland-Virginia area, I felt. Now it’s time to do something new. I didn’t want to come back. That’s just my thought process behind it. It had nothing to do with basketball, the fans, the city.”
Landing Durant was always a pipedream for the Wizards. Washington did not get a meeting with him in free agency while it watched six other franchises court the small forward.
Durant added that his mother was a major influence on his decision not to come back home. “No disrespect to anybody back at home, but my mom, she wanted me to see the world. She wanted me to see a different part of the country, and she didn’t want it to be a quick flight, either. She didn’t want anybody to be able to just get ahold of me,” Durant said.
Over the course of his career, the 8-time All-Star routinely made visits to his home state of Maryland during his offseasons. It was rewarding to come home and help out the community, but it came with challenges.
“With any athlete, when they’re playing in their hometown, there are advantages and disadvantages,” said Stu Vetter, Durant’s former high school coach. “The disadvantage is, everyone becomes a very good friend very quickly. Your time is in great demand. Your resources are in great demand. And everyone wants a favor.”
Durant visits his home community less frequently now than he did earlier in his career, but the area remains close to his heart. He’s a huge Redskins fan, who believes the team should re-sign Kirk Cousins (you can check out the latest on Cousins and Washington at Pro Football Rumors). Durant considered coming back home after learning about LeBron James‘ decision to return to his home state in 2014 but quickly decided that his own situation was not parallel to LBJ’s.
“I thought about what it might be like,” Durant said. “I thought about it. But it made LeBron’s situation different because he got drafted there. So it was like he was home already, so he knew what it was like. It wasn’t like it was his first time going back. For me, I never played at home. I didn’t know what it would be. I know every time I go back it’s pretty hectic, and I just wanted to focus on basketball and not have to worry about a lot of stuff that comes with being at home.”
“It’s always good going back, but I would rather play in a different city.”
I thought it was cause he can’t lead a team to a championship and needs Steph to do it for him
Well that and he didn’t want to give relatives and friends any of his $. At least that’s what I got from the article.
hahahahahah
Oh come on, it had nothing to do with not being able to lead a team. That is simply just a childish, immature, and quite frankly ignorant comment.
This was a very candid interview from Durant, and I, personally, really liked it. Durant’s answers give us fans some insight as to what it is like being an all-world, famous athlete, and he is coming off as being very genuine and very honest.
Although his honesty may turn some fans off from his home area, you cannot blame Durant for not going to the Wizards. I mean, obviously you can, but that would just be for your own selfish reasons honestly.
For what it is worth, it sounds like KD and his mom had a pretty detailed chat about returning to the area and playing for the Wizards, so he did indeed atleast give it some consideration. Basketball wise, GS was the smart move. Financially, and for his brand, GS was the correct move. Also, from what KD is saying, it sounds like personally, GS was again the correct move for HIM!!
Personally, I’m a Bulls fan, but am I going to trash any Chicago born players because they choose not to play back home for the Bulls?? No, but would I rather they come home and play for the Bulls?? If they are good, of course I selfishly want them on my favorite team..lol
Regardless though, KD is and always has been an excellent basketball player; furthermore, he is and has always proven to be an even better role model and man!!
how many rings he have again????
Pretty sure he was just kidding about not being able to lead a team. Y’all people need some fun in your life! Not everything is a slam! #sarcasmISfunny
the Butler did it + panties = bunched
Also, KD isn’t just simply saying he was avoiding moochers and “friends,” solely in order to save some money.
Childhood friends, acquaintences, extended family, etc. ALL of those people would consistently be at the heels of KD and his family if he were to move closer to home. It would just add more trouble than it was worth, it sounds like.
Even us as fans can understand that, especially if we have moved away from our own hometowns only to go back later on. Friends want to hang out, see you, get together, etc. It also sounds like KD is such a nice guy, he very well might have trouble telling people no.
Even when we “regular people” get families and full-time jobs, and lives of our own, etc., even we get too busy to see our own families on a fairly constant basis, or our own long-time friends, old classmates, etc…Not to mention, there are some old friends we really do not need to see, because they got caught up in trouble, or being around them typically just leads to trouble…
So, now imagine those problems for a multimillionaire superstar athlete, that may or may not have trouble saying no, and one that considers himself a good and decent human being. Not to mention the fact, he probably does not want to burn any bridges, for possibly having to tell some people no or having to deal with all of the extra communication and issues that can resolve from living back in his own town.
To me, it sounds like a man that has his priorities in order, and who can blame him for wanting to live and experience a different part of the country, much less the West Coast…Come on guys let us just be realistic and decent people for once; instead of, us just being soleless, emotionless basketball fans.
no shame in him being Steph’s s.pippen. we just think of pippen and mj different. Basketball wise he chose to latch on to an already established team and hopefully ride some coattails to a ring. I’m not a wizards fan, this is the outside looking in
Real talk.
Oh, and Moses Malone won the MVP, bolted the Rockets after they lost in the Finals, and won a championship with Dr. J and the Sixers. Considered one of the great teams in NBA history. 4-5-4. How quickly oldheads forget.
Fake Talk actually.
Malone was traded to the Sixers (and 2 years after he went to the Finals with Houston, although the team was under .500 regular season). It was Houston’s decision to tank (1980s version), not a decision by Malone. It worked, they got the top pick 2 straight seasons.
I’m sure the actual reason was that there isn’t a player named Steph Curry on the Wizards, but this was a beautiful piece of fiction all the same.
If you’re gonna sell out for a ring at least own up to it. He won’t be the first or the last but he’s seriously lacking in testicular fortitude.
He won’t win the East or it’d be harder to win the East with LeBron. But the Warriors are a lock to win the West. It’s like the Manning Brothers, Peyton wouldn’t go to the NFC b/c he’d be competition for Eli winning championships.
I kind of agree with this. I definitely think people popping into his life again to “ask for help” definitely played a part, but I think the main reason he chose not to go to a team in the East (Boston, Miami, Washington, etc) is because he would have to face LeBron earlier than he could if he went to GS. Why face LeBron in the ECFs, or earlier (and possibly not even get to the Finals), when you can just face him in the Finals. The superteam that is Golden State played a huge part, it was a championship team before him and would continue to be with him. But you have to be ignorant (not saying you, just in general) if you don’t think that facing LeBron in the Eastern Conference playoffs wasn’t a factor in his decision.
His decision not to play in Washington had nothing to do with basketball. Hard to believe he (and his Mom speaking through his words in the article) could have been any clearer as to why, without being nasty. He didn’t grant them a meeting. What does that tell you? There was no point to a basketball pitch being made.