With a 36-46 record, the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns were the first “losing” NBA team to feature Kevin Durant as an active player since his 2008-09 sophomore season with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

And even that Phoenix mark comes with a bit of an asterisk, since the Suns actually had a winning record (33-29) in their 62 games with Durant on the court.

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The point is, the 15-time All-Star knows a thing or two about winning. And three practices into 2025-26 training camp with his new team, the Houston Rockets, it seems all early indications are positive.

After Thursday’s practice, the future Hall of Famer was asked what stood out after practicing alongside his new teammates — and most notably, a duo of rising stars in Amen Thompson and Alperen Sengun.

Durant responded (via Space City Home Network):

How connected everybody is. The dialogue is pretty open. The truth can be told without guys getting in their feelings about it.

I feel like they were always a connected group. Especially Alpi and twin (Thompson), I felt like they were always on the same page, as opponents. But being around them, it’s even more so. Everybody is trying to get a feel for each other, and it’s been a good three days.

Interestingly enough, it’s the same word that Suns co-star Devin Booker said was missing last season in Phoenix.

“It wasn’t as connected as we wanted to be,” Booker told Phoenix reporters last week. “I don’t think anybody had problems with each other off the court, we just simply weren’t connected enough.”

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Whatever the reason was for that lack of connection with the 2024-25 Suns, Durant seems very optimistic that it won’t be a problem with head coach Ime Udoka and the 2025-26 Rockets.

“Ime has always been one of those guys that understood what I brought to the table and my mentality and my approach to the game,” Durant said of Udoka. “He always respected that and gave me the space to be me, so that was one of the first things I thought about (upon arriving in Houston).”

More: Kevin Durant explains Houston’s critical ‘attributes’ for modern NBA success

This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: Rockets training camp: Kevin Durant already sees a ‘connected’ group