Kevin Durant did not appreciate a recent report that said he lied to his former Oklahoma City Thunder teammates about his free agency plans, so he decided to respond.
On the TrueHoop podcast this week, ESPN Thunder insider Royce Young said Durant had been telling people he was returning to OKC. That includes point guard Russell Westbrook, whom, in a recent dinner, Durant reportedly told he was staying with the Thunder.
Durant told The Vertical that’s not the case.
“It’s false,” Durant told The Vertical on Thursday. “I didn’t say that – words about me telling Russell or Nick that I would stay or leave never came out of my mouth. We met as teammates, but no promises came out of it. In this day and age, I can’t control anything people claim out there. Someone can go out and say something random right now, and people will believe it.
“I never told Russell or Nick [Collison], ‘All right, guys, I’m coming back to the Thunder’ – and then a week later, I decide not to. Never happened. I don’t operate like that. I heard people say that story, but it’s not the truth.”
Durant is adamant he never told his former teammates he was re-signing with them.
As is the case in most misunderstandings, the truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
Though Durant may not have said the words, “I am going to re-sign with the Thunder, I promise,” to his former teammates, he could have made it seem to them like he was going to. Maybe he told them he’s not planning to go anywhere. That would be slightly different than a concrete promise because it leaves some wiggle room for plans to change.
Given the way Durant likes to please others and the way he has trouble disappointing people, we’re guessing he did make it seem to his former OKC teammates that he was going to stay with them. But when he got a chance to hear the presentations from other teams and sit down with his inner-circle, he probably decided moving on was best for him.
Three years ago Durant made a very serious decision in a capricious manner before walking it back months later (remember this?) The man is very prone to changing his mind on important matters. That could be what happened here.
