Turns out you might not have Kevin Durant to kick around for too much longer, Golden State Warriors dynasty haters. The two-time champion and winner of the last two NBA Finals MVP awards doesn’t seem to think he’ll drag his career out for an extended period before he moves on to better ways to spend his time.
Durant is having a good run of things with the Warriors, of course, but every athlete has a certain window for their professional career. Now in his second summer with the Warriors, Durant has made it clear that he intends to stay in Oakland with the Dubs and go for a third straight title. But no matter what contract he signs and how long he stays with Golden State, he may already be entering the later stages of his career.
Durant talked to ESPN’s Chris Haynes and was honest about his future, one that might not include playing basketball for much longer. The Warriors star has famously already begun investing heavily in the tech industry and various other areas to prepare his portfolio for life after hoops.
Durant said he has a “number” in his head right now about when he might walk away, and it’s fairly low considering his health and how well he’s currently playing at age 29.
“This game, your craft, you have to continue studying it,” said Durant. “No matter how much you enjoy it, nobody wants to be in school that long. I know I don’t. At some point, you have to be ready to graduate. Thirty-five, that’s just a number in my mind.”
There’s no question that Durant is happy playing with the Warriors, and it’s definitely not about the money. But he’s also very active outside of basketball. This is a guy that has his own Google commercials, after all, so it’s not like he couldn’t spend his late 30s making more money elsewhere without putting his body through the wear and tear of extra NBA seasons.
Fans that would like to see Durant’s career extend into the realm where he can set some impressive statistical records shouldn’t get discouraged just yet, though. Durant’s business partner Rich Kleiman seemed skeptical when Durant talked about his “number.”
“I heard him say that, but I’ll believe it when it happens,” Kleiman said.
In a way, it’s just refreshing to hear a professional athlete underestimate the length of his career rather than assume they can play forever. But right now it certainly feels like the game would be worse off with Durant doing something else with his time in his mid-30s.
