Kevin Durant joined the Houston Rockets following a historic seven-team trade in the 2025 offseason. The 15-time NBA all-star will make his Rockets debut on Oct. 21, and fittingly, it’ll be against none other than the Oklahoma City Thunder.
So, questions about his former team are bound to pop up, but KD doesn’t seem bothered by them.
Kevin Durant Keeps Reaction to Oklahoma City Return Short and Cold
The former OKC star didn’t need many words to show his feelings about his former team, the Thunder.
When asked during a media session if there were any people or employees in Oklahoma City, he still enjoys seeing when he returns, Durant’s answer was sharp and straightforward.
“No.”
That one-word response said everything. Durant’s history with the Thunder is complicated, to say the least.
Drafted by the franchise in 2007 when it was still the Seattle SuperSonics, Durant was the face of the team’s move to Oklahoma City a year later.
Over the next eight seasons, he turned the Thunder into one of the NBA’s top contenders and became a global superstar.
His run in Oklahoma City was nothing short of spectacular. He averaged 27.4 points per game, won four scoring titles, earned the 2013–14 MVP Award, and led the team to the 2012 NBA Finals alongside Russell Westbrook and James Harden.
Under his leadership, OKC became a model for small-market success. Fans adored him, and the city embraced him as one of its own. But then came 2016.
Durant left the Thunder to join the Golden State Warriors, the same team that had just eliminated OKC from the playoffs. The move rocked the NBA world and left Thunder fans heartbroken and furious.
Many saw it as a betrayal. Even after winning two championships with the Warriors, the anger in Oklahoma City never really faded.
Every time Durant returns, the boos are loud, the tension is heavy, and the memories of what could’ve been hang in the air.
Durant and OKC Have Their Own Paths to Chase in the 2025-26 Season
After three up-and-down seasons with the Phoenix Suns, Durant joined the Rockets this offseason. In Phoenix, he put up solid numbers – 26.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 4.6 assists over 145 games, but the Suns never managed to make a deep playoff run.
Now, at 37 years old, Durant is chasing one more championship, hoping to add a third ring to his legendary career.
While Durant’s career has taken several turns, the Thunder have quietly built a new dynasty. Led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the young OKC squad captured its first-ever NBA title in 2025, completing a remarkable rebuild that started years after Durant’s departure.
The team, once defined by Durant and Westbrook, now stands on its own, powered by a new breed of players like Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. After a solid run last season, they are poised to repeat it this season as well.
For Durant, though, it seems the connection is gone. That one-word answer may have closed the door on any remaining warmth between him and the city that once adored him.
