Kevin Durant has no intentions of leaving Oklahoma City.
While the reigning MVP is out for the season, and had successful foot surgery Tuesday, he's thinking long term. So far down the road he'd like to see his jersey hanging in the Thunder rafters one day.
ESPN's Royce Young has comments Durant made in a recent television interview:
I love it (in Oklahoma City), man. I love my teammates, I love the city, I don't really think about anywhere else.
I hear it all the time, don't get me wrong, and once you hear it you're kind of like ... But for me, I love staying in the moment, and I'm one of those guys that would love to stick it out with one team my whole career.
Kobe (Bryant), Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki type. That's awesome. But you never know what the future holds sometimes and how teams may feel about you after a while, but I love it here and I would love to get my jersey retired here.
Durant, 26, played in only 27 games this season, averaging 25.4 points (on 51 percent shooting), 4.1 assists, and 6.6 rebounds. He's set to hit unrestricted free agency after the 2015-16 season.
Drafted second overall in 2007 by the Seattle Sonics, Durant played his rookie year out west before moving with the team to the Sooner State. He'll turn 27 in late September, and has spent seven of his eight seasons in Oklahoma City.
Durant is a six-time All-Star, the 2013-14 MVP, and a five-time All-NBA first-team member. He's averaged 27.3 points (on 48.1 percent shooting), 6.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 1.2 steals and one block in 569 career games, good for a 24.7 PER. He's averaged 28.9 points (on 46.2 percent shooting), 8.2 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.2 blocks in 73 playoff games, good for a 24.4 PER.
The Thunder lost the 2011-2012 NBA Finals to the Miami Heat in five games, and have two Western Conference finals losses to bear, as well, in 2013-14 and 2010-11.
