Kevin Durant is, above everything else, an extremely fun basketball player. There are few things in NBA history quite like when Durant goes thermonuclear, turning into an essentially unstoppable athlete, a seven footer with seemingly range and the handles of a guard. It hasn’t needed to happen as much since he went to Golden State because he hasn’t needed to get to that level, but when he does, it’s a joy.
Ironically enough, the best example of this did not happen during an NBA game, although according to one of his closest friends, it might have played a role in his decision to join the Brooklyn Nets in free agency. Following his high-profile move, Marc Berman of the New York Post spoke to Jay Williams of ESPN, who has spent the last few days giving insight into Durant’s decision.
At one point, Williams spoke of a pair of pickup games Durant played in New York City which gave him a glimpse into what basketball in Gotham is all about. The first came in 2014, when he took a trip to Rucker Park and caused fans to storm the court. The other came in 2017 during a run that was supposed to occur at Rucker, but had to move to a nearby indoor location.
“It felt like an old-school, crazy high school game — people on the court yelling, talking trash, hyping us,’’ said Williams, whose NBA career was derailed by a motorcycle accident. “There was a love I saw in Kevin’s eyes, and I felt it too. That’s what I missed about the game.
“He saw there’s something special with the energy that comes with being here. There’s a love for hoopers. If you’re a hooper and care about the nuances, the angles of attack and trash-talking, the passion, that’s what that presented to him. It’s who he is at the root.”
The Rucker Park game, of course, is somewhat famous, as Durant was incapable of missing jumpers for a minute or two. Please take a moment to watch the moment in question, as it rules.
One thing that did openly annoy Durant about the end of his run in the Bay was the emphasis on off-court stuff, because he wanted to focus on basketball. It is fair to surmise, then, that the opportunity to play basketball in this sort of place, even if we know how ruthless the media in New York can be, would really appeal to him.
