It was a time when Kevin Durant was the golden boy of the NBA and would give a politically correct answer just to ease everybody. That Kevin Durant is a thing of the past. Many might argue he’s still the poster child of the league, he tells it how it is now. The Thunder played a closed game on opening night against the Spurs where KD logged 35 minutes, they then played the Magic in a thriller double OT session where he played 53 minutes and less than 48 hours later on Sunday he helped his team win playing 25 minutes.
With the first back to back scheduled tonight against the Rockets, the media started to wonder if the new Coach Billy Donovan was going to start monitoring KD since he is coming from an injury that kept him away from the court last season. If he agreed that the minutes were a lot in this early season, there is no plan on limiting Durant
“There’s no ‘OK, after tonight we’re gonna rest him,'” Donovan said Sunday, according to The Oklahoman. “Or a ‘Hey, listen, we’re gonna get through this midweek and then rest him on the back end.’ Those guys are gonna play, and they want to play. They are competitors.”
KD himself pitched in and set the record straight on the topic while taking what could be perceived as a subtle jab at Kobe
“I’m really tired of y’all talking to me like I’m a 19-year vet, man,” Durant told reporters. “I was out a year — not even a whole year. I’m all right. I can play those minutes. It’s not like I’m struggling the next day. “I want to play every minute, but I can’t do that. I feel great to play as much as coach wants me to play. I’m not 39 years old.”
In this new atmosphere around the NBA on every team monitoring their star players, it is refreshing to see a player begging for people to let him play the game he loves and grew up playing. The Thunder has an investment in KD and I’m sure they will be the first to shut him down if there is any concern around his foot. For now KD has spoken and you can tune in tonight to see him battle former teammate James Harden and the struggling Houston Rockets.