At 2pm on a Thursday, fans packed The Footprint Center to witness Kevin Durant’s introductory press conference. Not only did fans flock in person but thousands tuned into the live stream.
From Hawaii to Virginia, Venezuela to Germany, fans tuned in to watch KD speak as the newest member of the Phoenix Suns. The feeling is surreal. It’s one of those things you have to see to believe. The best part of it all? He wanted to be here, this wasn’t something that was forced upon him. Phoenix has the culture, the star power, and the fans that make the best of the best want to come play in the desert. This wouldn’t be the case a few years ago when the Suns were winning 19 games, but now after a playoff runs and a Finals appearance in the last few years Phoenix is the place to be.
Upon entering the arena, fans greeted Durant with cheers and a standing ovation. General manager James Jones had the honor of introducing Durant and called him one of the best players to ever play the sport. It took Durant a moment before he was able to get a word in, the crowd went absolutely bananas. Durant opened up by saying he doesn’t deserve the praise but is ready to get to work. He said part of his decision to want to come here was for the Sun’s core players, GM James Jones, head coach Monty Williams, and the fans. Durant emphasized Devin Booker’s abilities and sees a lot of his game in Booker. Durant explained that the key to winning a championship is the work the team puts in and the work they put into practice. Being a part of two championship teams, he understands what a championship would mean to a city. Although a little reserved, you can tell Durant is where he wants to be and he’s ready to prove to the fans he’s gonna work hard for his team.
The first half of the presser went smoothly but it did take a bizarre turn. First, it started when he was asked if he didn’t win a championship in Phoenix, would he consider it a failure. I don’t think any player wants to hear the word “failure” in the same sentence as their name. To make things more awkward, the attention shifted to Mat Ishbia and he was asked how he felt about the mass shooting that happened at his alma mater Michigan State. While the tragedy is somewhat relevant to Ishbia, there is a time and place to discuss such topics. An exciting day in Suns history and the introduction of a generational talent isn’t the time for that.
It seemed to go downhill from there. It was expected to have at least one person bold enough to ask about what happened in Brooklyn. As soon as one reporter asked, “how would you sum up your time in Brooklyn”, Durant had a look of surprise and the crowd boo-ed. It felt like the reporter was trying to get Durant to air out some dirty laundry.
There were more Brooklyn-related questions after that and no matter how much the media tried to pry a “gotcha” moment out of KD, they didn’t get one. Durant spoke respectfully and emotionally about his time in Brooklyn. He cited their lack of success as due to not being on the floor with fellow stars James Harden and Kyrie Irving enough. He enjoyed the grind but ultimately he was ready to start over once Irving wanted out.
Despite some awkward and uncomfortable moments, the presser had some things to get the fans excited for the KD era. He did mention Phoenix as a destination and has been in the back of his mind since starting his career in 2007. He surprisingly recalled the Suns barely missing the playoffs in the 2013-2014 season, a time when the Suns seemed to be irrelevant. Durant has a sense of needing to prove something to the fans, which shows how dedicated he is to his craft. At the end of the day he wants to put good stuff on film. KD is ready to propel the Suns to another run at a ring.
