Kevin Durant Ahead of Warriors vs. Nets: 'I'll Always Be a Warrior in My Heart'

Kevin Durant was a Golden State Warriors player for just three seasons, but the team he won two championships with will always have a special place in his heart.

"I'm very grateful for my time in the Bay Area," he told Kerith Burke of NBC Sports prior to Tuesday's season opener between Golden State and his Brooklyn Nets. "I'll always be a Warrior in my heart."

It's hard to call Durant's time with the Warriors anything but a success.

They made the NBA Finals in each of his three seasons, winning the championship the first two times and losing the third one to the Toronto Raptors in large part because Achilles injuries limited him to 12 minutes in the series. 

Durant was the NBA Finals MVP in each of the championships and was the perfect fit alongside Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green as someone who can hit from the outside when defenders collapse on his teammates, take advantage of the space the perimeter shooters create by attacking the lane and defend power forwards in small-ball lineups.

The end result was one of the most dominant teams in NBA history.

Despite the successes, he wasn't happy with how he was portrayed. He even told reporters in May 2019 that "It's been that way since I got here, it's the Warriors and KD," when talking about fans and the media separating him from the rest of the core.

Still, it is clear from his comments on Monday that he will remember his time in the Bay Area fondly.

Tuesday's game will be his first regular-season contest on the Nets after he missed the 2019-20 campaign with a torn Achilles.