Kevin Durant says he was drawn to the Suns’ “chemistry” and “camaraderie” after joining the Phoenix squad last season, winning 64 games and making the Finals the year before
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Kevin Durant has strengthened a rival Suns team after arriving in Phoenix from Brooklyn, but the ex-Net stressed in a new interview that he was drawn to his new team in part because of their “chemistry” and “comradeship.”
The superstar scorer got his trade request granted by the Nets when they traded him to Phoenix on Feb. 9 for a blockbuster package that included Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson and picks.
And while Durant has joined forces with two All-Stars in Chris Paul and Devin Booker — as well as double-double machine DeAndre Ayton — he was also apparently interested in the Suns for reasons beyond their on-field strength.
“It was just the chemistry, the camaraderie they built over the years that was intriguing,” Durant told Fox Sports in an interview.
‘But that is part of it. You have guys here who like to hit a ball, who (have) gotten better over the years. I thought it would be a great team to build with.”
Kevin Durant and the Suns are in contention for the title after acquiring the ex-Nets star
Durant requested and received a trade in February after the team traded Kyrie Irving
Even without Durant, the Suns were an extremely strong team, losing to the Bucks in six games in the 2021 Finals and winning 64 regular season games last season.
The attacker, on paper, also had a loaded team in Brooklyn, though things eventually crashed and burned.
Kyrie Irving played just 29 games last season after missing most of the team’s home games due to violating New York City’s private sector vaccine mandate, while James Harden was traded to Philly last year after just 80 games in two seasons.
Irving was also traded to the Mavericks in February.
Nevertheless, Durant insisted he has no regrets about his past decisions.
“Damn, no,” he said. “I don’t regret anything I do. I don’t regret my time in the league because I feel like I’m getting the most out of every day as a player. I feel like I’m getting the most out of myself every time I step across the floor.
Since leaving the Warriors after the 2019 Finals, Durant has not progressed past the second round of the playoffs.
He will try to counter that trend when the Suns host the Clippers in Game 1 on Sunday.