“I just hear his work ethic is different,” Amen Thompson says of Rockets newcomer Kevin Durant. “I feel like I have a different work ethic, too.”
“I just hear his work ethic is different. I feel like I have a different work ethic too. So combining that… I think it’s going to be fun.”
Amen Thompson is ready to play with Kevin Durant. pic.twitter.com/Sxbtc4Do8N
— Vanessa Richardson (@SportsVanessa) July 17, 2025
In his first public comments since Houston’s trade for All-Star forward Kevin Durant became official, rising Rockets star Amen Thompson said he expects immediate benefits in the 2025-26 NBA season.
“He’s going to make my life a lot easier,” Thompson told Space City Home Network’s Vanessa Richardson at the NBA’s 2025 summer league in Las Vegas. “He’s one of the greatest players ever, one of the best scorers ever.”
As it pertains to on-court play, Thompson — a versatile 6-foot-7 player with elite athleticism — said he expects the attention Durant draws as a scorer to lead to more off-ball opportunities.
“Definitely going to be passing it to him a lot,” Thompson said when asked of the combination of playing styles. “They’re going to be double teaming him, so I’m going to be cutting off the back of it.”
But perhaps the most important synergy could come between games.
“I just hear his work ethic is different,” Thompson, 22, said of his 36-year-old co-star. “I feel like I have a different work ethic, too. Combining that, I think it’s gonna be fun.”
The complete interview can be viewed below.