Kevin Durant: People Try to Discredit Me for Joining Warriors, Don't Think Logically

Kevin Durant is no longer concerned with the concept of legacy.

The Phoenix Suns forward spoke to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, saying critics stopped talking about him in a "logical" way after he joined the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

"Once I left to go to the Warriors (in 2016), I figured any logical thing, when it comes to me, it's out of the window," Durant said. "When it comes to me, people are not going to think in a logical way or simply look at what I've done and say that's it. They gotta add a narrative to it, they gotta push something to discredit me. Once I left to go to the Warriors, it's been the gymnastics on how to discredit me every step of the way. It's like, damn, that's not even fun no more, like, engaging with people because y'all aren't even being truthful. You move the goalpost every time, you expect the most out of me and if I don't reach it I'm a failure. It's like, what's the problem?

"I don't throw my s--t at people. People want their own experience in the NBA. Their experience is their experience. I can't say anything. I let it be. When some fan says, 'KD, I don't like how you did this.' I can't be upset at that. That's your view and how you look at the league. I just learned how to accept that, move forward and be the best me."

Durant signed with the Warriors in July 2016 and spent three seasons in Golden State, winning two championships and making three NBA Finals.

While his tenure with the team was an unmitigated success on the court, Durant faced a barrage of criticism over joining a team that won an NBA-record 73 wins a year prior. Both pundits and players ripped him for taking an "easy" route to a championship and the Warriors for taking advantage of a historic cap increase to prolong their dynasty.

The situation clearly weighed on Durant as his time in Golden State went on, leading to a contentious third and final season that ended when he suffered a torn Achilles in the 2019 Finals. He would leave in free agency for the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2019, spending three-plus tumultuous years with the franchise before forcing a trade to Phoenix in February.

The Suns trade came after Durant had previously tried to force a trade in the summer of 2022 and concluded what can only be described as a majorly disappointing run. Brooklyn never got past the second round of the playoffs with Durant on the roster.