Now with the Rockets, Kevin Durant will be on the opponent\u2019s bench for Oklahoma City\u2019s ring night in October. Given his eight-plus years with the Thunder, that adds yet another layer of intrigue.<\/p>\n
Finally. It\u2019s been 10 years, bout time they win one lmaooo<\/p>\n
\u2014 Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) August 10, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n After a controversial departure in 2016 free agency, there has been no love lost<\/a> between Kevin Durant and certain segments of the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> fan base.<\/p>\n Durant played eight elite seasons in Oklahoma City, including his NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) campaign in 2013-14. But many fans felt jilted when the perennial All-Star took his talents to a chief rival in Golden State, where he won two championships and two NBA Finals MVP awards with the 2016-17 and 2017-18 Warriors<\/a>.<\/p>\n On October 21, Durant will be with his new team \u2014 the Houston Rockets<\/a> \u2014 when the Thunder hand out rings for their first-ever title in Oklahoma City. It\u2019ll be the opener of the 2025-26 regular season<\/a> for both teams, and it will be televised to a national audience in the long-awaited return of the NBA on NBC.<\/p>\n When asked on X<\/a> how he’ll feel watching the Thunder celebrate a championship \u2014 which they never won during Durant\u2019s time there \u2014 the future Hall of Famer responded:<\/p>\n Finally. It\u2019s been 10 years, bout time they win one lmaooo<\/p>\n He clarified in later comments that the back-and-forth trolling with Thunder fans is all in fun.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not that serious,\u201d Durant posted<\/a>.<\/p>\n Even so, it adds just another juicy subplot for the Rockets and the NBA as a heavily anticipated opening night approaches. The Thunder and Rockets finished 2024-25 with the two-best records in the Western Conference, and Houston\u2019s hope is that the offseason addition of Durant can help bridge the gap in 2025-26.<\/p>\n