Is booing Kevin Durant just 'part of the brand' for OKC Thunder? He says 'it's all love'

Steven Adams and Jeff Green watched from the Houston Rockets’ bench as the Oklahoma City Thunder raised its championship banner Tuesday night.

To their left sat an empty seat that once belonged to another familiar face.

Kevin Durant was nowhere in sight. He sat in Houston’s locker room, awaiting to make his Rockets debut in his 19th NBA season.

Moments later, the 15-time NBA All-Star emerged from the northwest tunnel of Paycom Center, greeted by a chorus of boos that have echoed through his visits for nearly a decade.

But the moment — being back where the beginning of his hall of fame career began its rise — was less of a deal for Durant.

“Prepare for this the same as I always do to get ready,” Durant said pregame. “Just focus on doing my job the best that I can do and let the game play out how it plays out.”

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Opening night played out in OKC’s favor, as the Thunder bested the Rockets in a 125-124 double-overtime win. The game itself was a grand opening for Durant in his Rockets debut. He finished the night shooting 9-for-16 from the field with 23 points and nine rebounds in 47 minutes.

The NBA got exactly what it wanted from its marquee matchup. Despite both teams riddled with injuries, the battle lived up to the hype.

Highlight plays. A rocking crowd. Physical defense. An old, but newly brewing rivalry with the inherited history of the league’s brightest stars.

Yet for Durant, the noise — literal and figurative — has lost its edge.

“It’s not real,” Durant said. “I get so much love when I come in here from all the fans. Walking on to the court, at the hotel, walking around town everytime I come here its just so much love and respect.”

Durant’s relationship with Oklahoma City will forever be complicated.

Next July marks 10 years since his infamous exit to Golden State, a move that sent the Thunder faithful into a spiral. He’d go on to win two titles and two Finals MVPs with the Warriors which in turn left etched him in an eternal place atop OKC fan’s hate list.

But time has a way of softening scars.

“People always tell me they appreciate my time here and I feel the same way,” Durant said. “But that’s a part of the brand of OKC — to boo me when my name gets introduced — but I think it’s all love after that.”

With a banner now hanging in Paycom Center and Durant nearing 40, the question lingers:

Is it finally time for Thunder fans to let go?

The easy answer? Probably not — at least not entirely.

Durant hasn’t exactly been innocent online, firing playful shots at Thunder fans over the years. This summer, he joked, “It’s been 10 years… ’bout time they win [a title].”

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Still, his respect for the organization remains genuine.

“Kev’s a really good comeptitior — really good basketball player,” Thunder star Shai Gilegous-Alexander said. “He’s one of those household names everybody knows.”

Head coach Mark Daigneault echoed that sentiment, calling Durant “one of the best to ever do it.”

After Tuesday’s game, Durant shared hugs and handshakes with former teammates, Thunder staffers, and even fans — one viral clip showed him holding a baby in Thunder gear before tipoff.

Maybe the hate’s gone too far the other way. Maybe, it’s finally fading.

Durant recently signed a two-year, $90 million extension with Houston. It’s a deal that could carry him to retirement in 2028, his age-40 season.

Reality is, there won’t be many more trips back to Oklahoma City.

And maybe that’s why the boos don’t sound as bitter to Durant anymore.

“I don’t think about it being Year 19,” Durant said. “I just feel grateful that I’m still energetic, still playing these pressure-packed games against the best teams in the league. That’s all I can ask for.”

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Jordan Davis covers high school sports for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jordan? He can be reached at jdavis@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @thejordancdavis. Sign up for The Varsity Club newsletter to access more high school coverage. Support Jordan’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com

This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Kevin Durant back in OKC with Rockets as Thunder celebrates NBA title

Is booing Kevin Durant just ‘part of the brand’ for OKC Thunder? He says ‘it’s all love’

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