As Kevin Durant attempts to win his third straight title since he joined the Golden State Warriors, the intrigue around his looming free agency has in some ways overshadowed his chase for a three-peat. Durant’s annoyance with the constant questions surrounding his next NBA destination led him to snap at reporters back in February, and although his tone has softened ever so slightly since then, Durant remains upset that the expiration of his contract with the Warriors continues to garner headlines.
“Yo, just watch the game. Just focus on the game and stop nitpicking, because it is a beautiful game going on out there,” Durant told The Undefeated. “What can I do right now? I can’t sign a paper. I got to do the most important thing, and that is play. And that is what we should be focusing on.”
There’s the obvious reasons Durant’s free agency has taken center stage (he’s probably the best scorer in the NBA, he’s still only 30, etc.), but those flames have been fanned by the reports that Durant is very much considering moving on from Golden State. And his comments here don’t do much to quell those Bay Area fears.
“If I already made a decision, it would take away from the team, what we’re fighting for. Every play would be overshadowed by it,” Durant said. “It is not necessary for me to make a decision right now. It would be bad to do that. It would take the focus off of what is important. I would never want to put my teammates in a messed-up position. I want to forget about it.”
Durant went on to say that he’d like to eventually have his no. 35 jersey hanging from the rafters in the newly finished Chase Center, where the Warriors will move next season, though he still feels like he’s in the process of winning over Warriors fans. Whether he stays or goes, Durant’s stint on the west coast will be a fascinating one to analyze whenever it’s over.
