About 90 minutes before tipoff in his return to Oklahoma City, Kevin Durant acknowledged that he didn’t expect a warm reception from Thunder fans.
“You plan for the worst,” he said. “Obviously, I know how it is. I know fans are loud, especially here. Just try not to think about it, and go out there and play. Once the ball is tipped up, just go out there and play the game.”
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The proprietor of OKC’s Mahogany Prime Steakhouse said he had to stay true to Thunder fans and players when he turned down Kevin Durant’s request to rent the entire place.
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Kevin Durant has put enhanced security in place for his return to Oklahoma City, tripling the normal amount of security personnel the Warriors typically travel with, league sources told ESPN.
The proprietor of OKC’s Mahogany Prime Steakhouse said he had to stay true to Thunder fans and players when he turned down Kevin Durant’s request to rent the entire place.
Durant was met by a large media contingent ahead of the showdown at Chesapeake Energy Arena, which is his first game there since he left the Thunder for the Warriors via free agency last summer.
Asked if he would have changed anything about his departure, Durant said, “No.”
Durant said it felt strange going to the visitor’s locker room for the first time.
“There’s definitely emotion,” he said. “I played here for eight years. There’s no getting around that.”
After speaking to the media, Durant headed to the court for pregame warm-ups. He was met with boos from the Thunder fans but had his headphones on while shooting.
Earlier Saturday, star Thunder guard Russell Westbrook talked as extensively as he has in months about his severed relationship with his former teammate.
“Obviously, us playing here, we grew up here together,” Westbrook said. “Since then, his decision has been made about what’s best for him and his future, and I made the decision that was best for mine, and that’s just how it’s been.”
Information from ESPN’s Royce Young and the Associated Press was used in this report.
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