Kevin Durant responds to idea of Thunder reunion to 'redeem his legacy'
By Mark Nilon
The concept of a reunion between a player and their former employers is always a talking point that's bound to generate serious attention, and already this offseason we've seen the OKC Thunder be mentioned as a realistic club that could see such a happening occur.
From star players like Paul George to mere role players such as Danilo Gallinari, several of the team's ex-talents have been linked as potential targets Oklahoma City could pursue this summer to fill out their rotation and better their odds of contending for a championship come next year's campaign.
Of course, in the modern era of NBA basketball, the name of the game is star power, and the organization boasting the most of such a luxury is often considered the favorite to win it all.
As a hypothetical way of accumulating said level of star power, recently, the idea of this Thunder team reuniting with the greatest talent to ever don the blue, orange, and yellow threads in Kevin Durant was broached by a user on X (formerly known as Twitter), Just Phil, as he suggested such a move would not only strengthen Mark Daigneault's talent pool but would also help the superstar "redeem his legacy."
Unsurprisingly, considering how active the veteran is on social media, Durant responded to the post and, be it to the delight or dismay (depending on one's feelings toward the perennial All-Star) of those associated with the fanbase, he seemed to pour cold water on such an idea with a rather blunt, nonchalant retort.
Kevin Durant reacts to notion of Thunder return redeeming his 'legacy'
Soon after Durant made such a comment, the original poster came back at the forward with a slanderous jab in retaliation, stating "Kawhi is better than you," which, to some members of the Thunder's faithful followers, is likely welcomed with open arms.
Despite the belief that the 14x All-Star could prove to be "one hell of a fit" on this OKC team, as NBA Insider Tim MacMahon has put it, it appears many fans are not yet over his decision to depart from the organization back in 2016, while others fear that he may not be willing to take a back seat to current superstar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander or mesh with their set core.
Whatever one's thoughts are on such a reunion, based on Durant's comments, it seems that this scenario is unlikely to take place anytime soon and, considering owner Mat Ishbia's public remarks on the current state of his Phoenix Suns, it seems none of the club's star trio of him, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal are expected to be departing from the valley this summer.