Kevin Durant Reveals Elite Teammate Trait He Wanted
Kevin Durant spent nine seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, averaging 27.4 points, 7.0 rebounds, and 3.7 assists in 641 games.
He led the Thunder to the 2012 Finals and won the MVP award in 2014.
Durant's departure was about more than just winning rings, he wanted to be surrounded by players who could play at his level.
He wanted a new experience, to live in a different city, and see what life was like somewhere else.
Durant joined the Warriors after OKC blew a 3-1 series lead to them, a move that paid off with consecutive titles and Finals MVP awards in 2017 and 2018.
The 37-year-old described how well things fit for him in the Warriors, citing their ability to play real, pure team basketball.
Durant had a strong 2025-26 regular season with the Houston Rockets, averaging 26.0 points over 78 games, but the postseason was underwhelming due to injuries.
He missed Game 1 against the Los Angeles Lakers with a knee injury and played only 41 minutes in Game 2 before missing the rest of the series with an ankle injury.
The Lakers eliminated Houston in Game 6, leaving Durant to wonder if the Rockets are the right fit.
Durant has two years left on his contract, and finding the right fit will define his next move.
The Thunder, meanwhile, won the 2025 NBA championship under Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, using the exact selfless style Durant wanted.
"I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play, guys whose skill sets perfectly matched up with mine," Durant said.
He got what he wanted with the Warriors, but now he's still looking for the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' team basketball.
The irony is not lost on Durant, who sees the Thunder's championship win as a validation of his desires.
But for now, he's focused on finding the right team to match his skills.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management and team culture.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"It wasn't just one thing, either," Durant said, explaining his decision to leave OKC.
The search continues for Kevin Durant, one of the NBA's greatest scorers.
"We moved the ball, we hit shots, we were hyper-efficient," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant added, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience," Durant said, explaining his desire for a change.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things," Durant added, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"OKC was literally all I knew," Durant said, explaining his decision to leave.
He's known other teams now, but the search for the perfect fit continues.
"It worked out perfectly," Durant said, describing his time with the Warriors.
But now he needs to find a new perfect fit, one that will help him win another championship.
"We were hyper-efficient," Durant added, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to live in a different city, see what life was like somewhere else," Durant said.
He's done that, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"And on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"Guys whose skill sets perfectly matched up with mine," Durant said, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to play for a different front office, I wanted to see how another organization ran things," Durant said.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"The results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"It wasn't just that the Warriors were bigger, stronger, or faster than you," Durant said.
The Warriors were a perfect fit for Durant, but now he needs to find a new perfect fit.
"We moved the ball, we hit shots," Durant added, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play with guys whose skill sets perfectly matched up with mine," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant said, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We were hyper-efficient, we moved the ball, we hit shots," Durant added, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to live in a different city, see what life was like somewhere else," Durant said.
He's done that, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play, guys whose skill sets perfectly matched up with mine," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"And on top of all that, I wanted to see how another organization ran things," Durant said.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"It worked out perfectly," Durant said, describing his time with the Warriors.
But now he needs to find a new perfect fit, one that will help him win another championship.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant added, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office, I wanted to see how another organization ran things," Durant said.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We moved the ball, we hit shots, we were hyper-efficient," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to play with guys whose skill sets perfectly matched up with mine," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"It wasn't just one thing, either," Durant said, explaining his decision to leave OKC.
The search continues for Kevin Durant, one of the NBA's greatest scorers.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We were hyper-efficient," Durant said, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to live in a different city, see what life was like somewhere else," Durant said.
He's done that, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"And on top of all that, I wanted to see how another organization ran things," Durant said.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"It worked out perfectly," Durant said, describing his time with the Warriors.
But now he needs to find a new perfect fit, one that will help him win another championship.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant added, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We moved the ball, we hit shots," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to play with guys whose skill sets perfectly matched up with mine," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"It wasn't just one thing, either," Durant said, explaining his decision to leave OKC.
The search continues for Kevin Durant, one of the NBA's greatest scorers.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We were hyper-efficient," Durant said, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to live in a different city, see what life was like somewhere else," Durant said.
He's done that, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"And on top of all that, I wanted to see how another organization ran things," Durant said.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"It worked out perfectly," Durant said, describing his time with the Warriors.
But now he needs to find a new perfect fit, one that will help him win another championship.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant added, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We moved the ball, we hit shots," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to play with guys whose skill sets perfectly matched up with mine," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"It wasn't just one thing, either," Durant said, explaining his decision to leave OKC.
The search continues for Kevin Durant, one of the NBA's greatest scorers.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We were hyper-efficient," Durant said, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to live in a different city, see what life was like somewhere else," Durant said.
He's done that, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"And on top of all that, I wanted to see how another organization ran things," Durant said.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"It worked out perfectly," Durant said, describing his time with the Warriors.
But now he needs to find a new perfect fit, one that will help him win another championship.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant added, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We moved the ball, we hit shots," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to play with guys whose skill sets perfectly matched up with mine," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"It wasn't just one thing, either," Durant said, explaining his decision to leave OKC.
The search continues for Kevin Durant, one of the NBA's greatest scorers.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We were hyper-efficient," Durant said, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to live in a different city, see what life was like somewhere else," Durant said.
He's done that, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"And on top of all that, I wanted to see how another organization ran things," Durant said.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"It worked out perfectly," Durant said, describing his time with the Warriors.
But now he needs to find a new perfect fit, one that will help him win another championship.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant added, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We moved the ball, we hit shots," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to play with guys whose skill sets perfectly matched up with mine," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for that perfect team, and his next move will be crucial.
"It wasn't just one thing, either," Durant said, explaining his decision to leave OKC.
The search continues for Kevin Durant, one of the NBA's greatest scorers.
"We actually played real, pure team basketball," Durant said, describing the Warriors' playing style.
The question now is whether the Rockets can provide that for him.
"I just wanted a new experience, I wanted to live in a different city," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"I wanted to see how another organization ran things, and on top of all that, I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added.
He's still searching for that perfect fit, and his next move will be crucial in determining his legacy.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play for a different front office," Durant said, citing his desire for a change in management.
He's seen how other organizations work, but now he needs to find the right fit.
"And you saw the results when we stepped on the court," Durant added, describing the Warriors' success.
The results speak for themselves, but Durant knows he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"We were hyper-efficient," Durant said, highlighting the key to the Warriors' success.
The search is on for Kevin Durant, and his next move will be crucial.
"I wanted to live in a different city, see what life was like somewhere else," Durant said.
He's done that, but now he needs to find a team that can help him win.
"The biggest thing? I just wanted a new experience," Durant said.
He's had that experience, but now he needs to find a team that can match his level of play.
"I wanted to play with guys who actually knew how to play," Durant added, explaining his desire for a perfect team.
He's still looking for