Is it time for OKC Thunder fans to stop boo’ing Kevin Durant?

Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)
Kevin Durant #35 of the Phoenix Suns (Photo by Ian Maule/Getty Images)

No one in or around the OKC Thunder fanbase will forget July 4th, 2016. It was a day that shook the Oklahoma City Thunder organization and the entire landscape of the NBA. Kevin Durant elected to sign with the historically great Golden State Warriors in Free Agency.

The same Warriors that just won 73 games and came back from down 3-1 to down Durant’s Thunder in the Western Conference Finals. That spurred Russell Westbrook to a historic season where he averaged a triple-double and took home the league’s MVP award, and the next offseason saw Sam Presti add Paul George and Carmelo Anthony.

While the Thunder have yet to win a Playoff series without Kevin Durant in uniform, they keep trying before eventually trading Paul George and Russell Westbrook and setting themselves up for an incredibly bright future that even Durant acknowledged.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are back on track with an incredibly bright future. So is it time to stop boo’ing Kevin Durant?

The fans were on fire the first time Kevin Durant returned to the Paycom Center, then Chesapeake Energy Arena. Dressed as Cupcakes, boo’ing him every time he touched the ball. In his second appearance in Bricktown, things were even louder. He eventually went forehead-to-forehead with Russell Westbrook the day before Thanksgiving before the new OKC big three downed the Warriors 108-91.

On Sunday, Durant returned to Oklahoma City with the Suns for his fifth game in Bricktown. With the Stars all on active and OKC in the midst of a playoff chase, the crowd was in vintage form.


After the game, KD was asked about being booed again in a city he once called home and built so many great memories; He said, “There was more love this time than there has been in the past.”

He was right. The crowd booed during introductions and relentlessly booed him when he touched the ball, but overall the crowd was not as ferocious as in years past. In fact, a fraction of the fanbase thinks it is time to move on from this city-wide grudge against Durant.

KD’s new teammate, Devin Booker, agrees with those fans saying, “What is it, 7, 8 years now, my rookie year. People just want to be heard. I don’t know what it is. He did a lot for this organization.”

From Durant’s praise of the organization to the team’s bright future, it is time to bury the hatchet. Of course, this does not mean a reunion is likely, but one thing is certain when this is all said and done, the Thunder will retire the number 35. By then, I hope we can celebrate all the great things that came of this decade-long partnership and wash away some of the painful parts of it.

However, I get it. This is sports. Boo’ing Kevin Durant when he touches the ball (As long as it is just boos and does not cross the line) is part of the fun. It is why KD waved off some fans and talked a little trash back. It is all in the spirit of competition, and no one gets hurt.

What do you think? Should fans embrace KD, or at least be neutral on the former star? Or is the boo’ing warranted and all in good fun? Drop it below in the comment section!