Kevin Durant has claimed he ‘doesn’t care’ about his legacy in basketball – less than two months after having his second trade request with the Nets granted by Brooklyn as he was dealt to the Suns.
Durant’s time with the Nets ended during his third season playing for the team after Kyrie Irving was traded to the Mavericks after requesting a move himself.
A 13-time All-Star and two-time champion, Durant is regarded as one of the game’s most talented players ever, but his decision to team up with a historically great Warriors squad in 2016 will forever stick with some NBA fans.
However, the Suns forward told The Athletic he’s no longer concerned with his standing in the game.
‘I don’t care about legacy,’ Durant said.
Kevin Durant was traded from the Nets to the Suns on February 9 in a blockbuster deal
Durant wanted out of Brooklyn after Kyrie Irving demanded a trade out nowhere
‘I used to. I used to want to carve out a lane or space in this game for myself that people can remember, but it’s become too much of a thing now. It just becomes too much of a focus on other people.
‘What’s he done, what’s he done? Comparisons. Before, when we wasn’t doing all this debating, I cared about it … I’m about to be in the same breath as these top guys. It was big.
‘Nowadays, I truly, truly don’t care. I truly just want to go out there and produce, be the best that I could be, go home, hang with my family, that’s it.’
Durant also commented on his exit from the Nets, which ended a tumultuous four years which ended far short of the title he, Irving and (at one point) James Harden were gunning for.
‘I want the best for that organization. I wanted the best for us every game. I hated it had to go down like that. I wasn’t trying to prove the Nets is a s***ty organization. I was trying to prove that the Nets are a great organization, that they care about their players, want the best for their players.
Durant will now try to win a title alongside Chris Paul and Devin Booker in Phoenix
‘Certain s*** just didn’t work out. I understand that. I’m not here trying to prove that the Nets was wrong, I think they did amazing by me the whole time I was there, not just with the trade. Coming off the Achilles injury, get back into playing — they made sure they were there for me every step of the way. And I appreciate that for life. I feel like we’ll be tied as family members for life regardless of how it finished.’
Durant’s comments came after he returned to the Suns lineup for the first time in three weeks.
After a smooth 3-0 start to life in Phoenix, Durant sprained his ankle during warmups on March 8 and missed 10 games.
The Suns are 41-35 after beating the Timberwolves on Wednesday night, and sit in the fourth seed with only 1.5 games separating them and the Warriors in sixth place.
