Before heading to the bus after games, Kevin Durant always takes some extra time to say goodbye to familiar faces and old friends as he leaves San Francisco once more.
The Phoenix star loves returning to Chase Center, and playing in the All-Star Game this weekend in front of Bay Area fans who still remember and appreciate all he did for the Warriors means a lot to him.
“For sure, this is my home, I got murals up in the concourse, what’s that mean?” Durant said with a smile. “I’ve been saying this since I left here, this is always going to be a part of my DNA, this is in my blood. Finally somebody’s listening to me but it always felt like home. Since I left here it’s always been that.”
Durant wishes his Suns teammate Devin Booker could have been selected for the All-Star Game alongside him in his 15th career selection.
After reaching 30,000 career points Tuesday night, the 36-year-old Durant has many reasons to celebrate. He became the eighth player in NBA history to score 30,000 points, joining LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Karl Malone, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Wilt Chamberlain. Julius Erving also reached this mark when combining his points in the NBA and ABA.
Suns coach Mike Budenholzer praised Durant for his shooting ability after his milestone. “He’s probably the most incredible shot maker I’ve ever been around,” Budenholzer said.
“Gone against him a lot of nights, too, so it’s nice to be on his side. The way he can rise up and shoot over people, his height, his ballhandling, he’s just, if not the most incredible shot maker, I’m not sure who is. It’s just great to be around him every day.”
Durant will surely put on a great show. He had some of the best moments of his career playing for these passionate fans. Durant holds a 3-2 record at Chase Center, averaging 22.4 points with a shooting percentage of 39.8%. His highest scoring game there was 31 points in a 109-105 loss on Dec. 28.
During his most recent visit, on Jan. 31, Durant engaged in a fun and friendly back-and-forth with former Seattle SuperSonics star Gary Payton. Payton sat courtside across from the Golden State bench while watching his son, Gary Payton II.
Kevin Durant drives past Vince William Jr. in the 1st halfThey joked around, discussed their NBA eras, and debated scoring abilities. Payton reminded Durant, “I was a point guard, you’re a scorer.”
Durant responded, “Check my footage, man, I do it all.” The banter started last summer when Durant told Payton he was too small to guard the two-time Finals MVP.
“It’s always good when I run into an older player, especially from the 90s,” Durant said. “If you play in the 90s, they feel like that’s the golden years of the NBA. So I try to let them know, especially GP, what it would have been like if you were on the court with me because they tend to talk down on the mentality of our era of players. GP is a great sport about it, one of my favorite players, somebody I look up to and have major respect for.”
These are the types of lighthearted moments Durant looks forward to during tougher times, like the constant speculation around whether Phoenix would trade him before last week’s deadline.
Even without Payton’s presence, Durant will see many people in the stands still thankful for everything he helped the Warriors achieve.
He spent three seasons with the Warriors from 2016 to 2019, leading them to two championships alongside Stephen Curry and Draymond Green.
Coach Steve Kerr, who coached Durant, Curry, and the U.S. team to an Olympic gold medal last summer, said, “Just his ability to get his shot off against any defense, any defender, nobody’s ever had that kind of skill at that size.
So, incredibly unique package and I think he loves to play basketball more than anything, he just loves the game. He works so hard at it. That’s what I enjoyed the most when we had him here, was watching him after practice just go through his routine, and it’s mesmerizing.”
So as Durant returns this time, you can expect him to enjoy the moment with everyone watching.
Although the reunions may be brief, they are still special and unforgettable—just like his playful exchange with Payton.
“Hell yeah it’s going to be a homecoming,” Durant said. “It’s like I’m coming back home. Three years here were a huge part of my life, so yeah, it’s a homecoming.”
