Q&A: Kevin Durant
Posted by Unknown on Thursday, August 23, 2012 with 8 comments
Courtesy of Marc Stein
Q: Everyone seems to be impressed with your acting skills. Sounds like you did pretty well for a first-timer.
A: Yeah, I did all right. I was having fun with it. It was different for me. I'm just so used to playing basketball. But it was cool.
Q: Have you seen the whole movie start-to-finish by now?
A: I watched it for the first time Sunday and I was very impressed. Before I only saw the scenes that I was in. It was sort of like a surprise to me when I saw it the first time. Very cool.
Q: It's only been about a week since the Olympics and here you are on a press junket for your movie. What are your plans for the rest of the summer? Is there any rest in there, or now will we start to see you popping up at pickup games like last summer?
A: I think I'm just going to work out, get my cardio back up. If anybody knows me, I probably won't stop [playing]. But I'm going to have to force myself, too. I know rest is very important, just as important as getting better on the basketball court. I gotta make sure I get my proper rest [to be] ready for the start of training camp.
Q: To know that Serge [Ibaka] just re-signed, how reassuring is that?
A: It's a really big deal. I'm happy for him, first of all, him and his family. He worked so hard to get that [extension] and I'm just excited that he's signed on for four more years and really believes in us.
He easily could have said no, waited for next summer, played well this year and got more [money]. But he sacrificed for us and we appreciate him for that. He's the ultimate team player.
Q: But you know us in the media. We're always going to talk about what happens next and that means James Harden's deal. How involved will you get in trying to make sure that James stays?
A: I want James to be here with us, of course. He's one of my closest friends. Hopefully it works out, that's all I can say.
I haven't asked [Thunder GM] Sam [Presti] about anything and I haven't asked James about anything. I'm just going to let that take care of itself, be the best teammate I can be and hopefully by the time camp starts we have him locked up.
Q: But he has a lot of incentive to wait until the summer to become a restricted free agent. How worried will you be if there's no extension [by the Oct. 31 deadline]?
A: I'm not a big worrier. I always believe things are going to be all right and that everything's going to work out on its own.
Q: So I guess that means you're not worried about the Lakers. Are the Thunder still the favorites in the West?
A: Who knows? It's different every year. What we did last year is out the door, though. We can't bring that into the new season. The target is going to be on our back, just like it has been for the last two years.
Q: How nervous were you that you guys could actually lose the gold-medal game to Spain?
A: I wasn't. Because we had so many guys that can change the game with one play. We got the Kobes and LeBrons and Melos and CP3s and D-Wills and Russells. We knew that team was going to be bigger than us and we knew they were going to pound it down low to try to beat us, but it feels really good, just to see how well we came together as a unit and how happy everybody was for each other.
Q: Everyone seems to be impressed with your acting skills. Sounds like you did pretty well for a first-timer.
A: Yeah, I did all right. I was having fun with it. It was different for me. I'm just so used to playing basketball. But it was cool.
Q: Have you seen the whole movie start-to-finish by now?
A: I watched it for the first time Sunday and I was very impressed. Before I only saw the scenes that I was in. It was sort of like a surprise to me when I saw it the first time. Very cool.
Q: It's only been about a week since the Olympics and here you are on a press junket for your movie. What are your plans for the rest of the summer? Is there any rest in there, or now will we start to see you popping up at pickup games like last summer?
A: I think I'm just going to work out, get my cardio back up. If anybody knows me, I probably won't stop [playing]. But I'm going to have to force myself, too. I know rest is very important, just as important as getting better on the basketball court. I gotta make sure I get my proper rest [to be] ready for the start of training camp.
Q: To know that Serge [Ibaka] just re-signed, how reassuring is that?
A: It's a really big deal. I'm happy for him, first of all, him and his family. He worked so hard to get that [extension] and I'm just excited that he's signed on for four more years and really believes in us.
He easily could have said no, waited for next summer, played well this year and got more [money]. But he sacrificed for us and we appreciate him for that. He's the ultimate team player.
Q: But you know us in the media. We're always going to talk about what happens next and that means James Harden's deal. How involved will you get in trying to make sure that James stays?
A: I want James to be here with us, of course. He's one of my closest friends. Hopefully it works out, that's all I can say.
I haven't asked [Thunder GM] Sam [Presti] about anything and I haven't asked James about anything. I'm just going to let that take care of itself, be the best teammate I can be and hopefully by the time camp starts we have him locked up.
Q: But he has a lot of incentive to wait until the summer to become a restricted free agent. How worried will you be if there's no extension [by the Oct. 31 deadline]?
A: I'm not a big worrier. I always believe things are going to be all right and that everything's going to work out on its own.
Q: So I guess that means you're not worried about the Lakers. Are the Thunder still the favorites in the West?
A: Who knows? It's different every year. What we did last year is out the door, though. We can't bring that into the new season. The target is going to be on our back, just like it has been for the last two years.
Q: How nervous were you that you guys could actually lose the gold-medal game to Spain?
A: I wasn't. Because we had so many guys that can change the game with one play. We got the Kobes and LeBrons and Melos and CP3s and D-Wills and Russells. We knew that team was going to be bigger than us and we knew they were going to pound it down low to try to beat us, but it feels really good, just to see how well we came together as a unit and how happy everybody was for each other.
KD is the man. He's a hard working kid who puts everything into his game and values his teammates.
ReplyDeleteCant help but respect that dude
ReplyDeleteClint
Represent us skinny dudes.. See you don't have to be all big n buff to be a badass player.
ReplyDeleteThat guy,,,good role model for upcoming basketball players..
ReplyDeletehell yea best player in the league hands down
ReplyDeleteAs it stands right now he is definitely a class act. It's a bunch of BS how he is considered on a lower level than LeBron. 3 time scoring scoring champ. Enough said. The style he plays will allow him to pay the same way when he gets up in age. LeBron won't be able to so that. LeBron can't really shoot all that well so he doesn't have anything to fall back on. KD keep it up.
ReplyDeleteJordan was alot like how Lebron is now, just an explosive powerhouse, dunking on everybody. Then Michael Jordan developed the fadeaway. Soo I doubt Lebron James will be as athletic as he is now, but he will still dominate. The dude is automatic from mid range, and he has disgustingly leap deep range. If you dont believe me, search up "Lebron James game 7 deep three"
DeleteBut those shots are skill... That's luck. When he was with the cavs, he took more shots. I'll give him credit that's he is much more dominant with his current methods but that relies almost completely on his athleticism. He is not automatic from mid range. Jordans fade away and turn around was patented long before he came up in age. I am not knocking down LeBron. Just stating with his current play style, he will not be able to perform at the same level in my opinion. But he still has lots of advantages due to his high skill level. Needs to come back and work on that shot. Durant is as dominant, but does any where near do the things that James does, but still manages to take over and win ball games. I don't know the extent of KDs athleticism but doesn't over exert himself or tear his body up.
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