As the Warriors get set for Friday’s preseason game at KeyArena in Seattle, Kevin Durant is reminiscing on the time he spent with the SuperSonics.
KD, who was drafted by Seattle back in 2007 before the organization moved to Oklahoma City, believes the city deserves another NBA team, per Nick Friedell of ESPN:
“For sure,” Durant told ESPN. “Most definitely. It’s a basketball city. It’s a sports town. … They have a good representation of basketball in the NBA from Seattle-born players, Washington state-born players. And I feel like that whole brand deserves an NBA team. Just like the Golden State Warriors deserve a team or the Los Angeles Lakers deserve a team, Seattle is that same way. [A team] has that same type of impact in the community. So [we have] a lot of time in life before this whole thing is over, and I’m sure we’ll see a team before it’s time.”
“I look back on [my stint in Seattle] and picture what it would have been like to [still] live there and play there, but I had no control [over the move to OKC],” he said. “I spent some great, great years in Oklahoma City, and that path was perfect for me. But I still got a connection with the Northwest area, always going up there with Nike in Portland, making trips to Seattle here and there, just knowing that I’m always going to be a Sonic. I think no matter what jersey I put on, I think those fans know that.”
Durant added that it was “devastating” how the franchise “up and left in the middle of the night,” and told ESPN that he understands how strong the passion is for basketball there.
“I’m looking forward to going back and playing in front of that crowd again, and I know my teammates are going to be excited as well. The energy is going to be amazing in the building.”
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