Kevin Durant 'Grateful' for Thunder Tenure, Says He Has 'Soft Spot' Facing OKC as Opponent

Houston Rockets star Kevin Durant discussed his appreciation for his time with the Oklahoma City Thunder as he prepares to face his former team on Saturday.

"I really, really am grateful to be an alumni of the Thunder and to help kick-start this thing off with a lot of my teammates," Durant said in an interview with ESPN's David Seronick (h/t ESPN's Baxter Holmes). "It's amazing to see. It's tough to play against as a player, but there's still a little side of me when I play against these guys, I've got a soft spot in my heart for that state."

Durant was originally selected with the No. 2 overall pick in the 2007 NBA draft by the Seattle SuperSonics, spending one season in Seattle before the organization relocated to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder.

Oklahoma City finished at just 23-59 in its first season, but quickly became a contender in the Western Conference with a core that included Russell Westbrook, James Harden and Serge Ibaka.

Durant led the way, as he earned seven All-Star nods, four scoring titles and one MVP award as the Thunder made four Western Conference Finals appearances and one NBA Finals run with him as their No. 1 option.

The end of his tenure in Oklahoma City was rocky, as he surprisingly departed the organization in free agency to sign with the Golden State Warriors in 2016.

At the time, the Warriors were coming off a historic 2015-16 season in which they went 73-9 and came back from a 3-1 deficit to take down the Thunder in the Western Conference Finals.

Durant helped Golden State win two championships, while Oklahoma City suffered four consecutive first-round playoff exits following his departure.

The Thunder eventually captured a title of their own in 2025 led by a new young core that featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.

Durant left the Warriors in 2019 and has suited up for the Brooklyn Nets, Phoenix Suns and Rockets since then.

The 38-year-old has remained an efficient volume scorer this season, averaging 22.4 points per game on 54.0/50.0/87.2 shooting splits for a Rockets squad that sits at 5-0.

The Thunder own a 4-1 record, but are currently managing injuries to key contributors including Williams and Cason Wallace.

Oklahoma City and Houston are set to face off on Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET.