During an interview conducted after the U.S. team’s practice for the World Cup on Tuesday, Kevin Durant said he’s feeling the pressure to return home to Washington, D.C. to join the Wizards. The Oklahoma City Thunder star says, “Everybody is asking me about it every time I go on Instagram or Twitter. All my friends ask me about it. I’m not going to sit here and act like I’m naïve to the fact that people think about that stuff … I tell everybody, ‘Look, I’m here in Oklahoma City. I love it here. Who knows what will happen?’ I will never close the door on anything, but I like where I’m at right now.”
Durant even texted his congratulations to Lebron James after the former Heat star made the decision to return to his home state of Ohio, where he began his basketball career with the Cavaliers.
“I thought it was well thought out. It was classy,” Durant said. “Great move to do it through a letter. That was pretty cool. It’s fun to see a guy think about more than basketball for once than himself. I’m not saying LeBron is always thinking about himself, but he thought about the city where he comes from and Northeast Ohio and how he can affect so many kids.
Durant called the decision “bigger than basketball” and offers more support to James, adding, “So many guys get criticized for making a decision that is best for them instead of what’s best for everybody else. And he’s a guy who did that. I applauded him.”
Durant, born in Washington D.C., has traveled home during summers to play in the Pro-Am Goodman League. This month, he traveled back to Chocolate City to attend a family reunion. While he doesn’t say “never” to talk of returning home for good, Durant says he is content with his position in Oklahoma for now.
“I’m not focused on down the line. I’m focused on today. I love my teammates and my coaches. I love Oklahoma City.”