Kerr: Calling Durant a villain for leaving Thunder is 'absurd'

[August 09, 2016]  The Sports Xchange

Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr defended his newest star player, calling it "absurd" to label Kevin Durant as a villain because he left the Oklahoma City Thunder as a free agent.

The former MVP and four-time scoring champion is joining forces with Steph Curry after he selected the Warriors over the Thunder and Boston Celtics last month.

"To think of Kevin Durant or Steph Curry or any of our guys as villains, it's kind of absurd. Especially Kevin," Kerr said Sunday in an interview on ESPN Radio's TMI with Michelle Beadle and Ramona Shelburne. "This is one of the most likeable people in this league. He's just an awesome human being. What he did in Oklahoma City was just amazing for that community."

Durant, 27, led the Thunder to the Western Conference finals four times in the past six seasons, including a Game 7 loss in June to the Warriors.

Durant signed a reported two-year, $54.3 million contract with a player option after the second year. Both Curry and Durant can become free agents next July.

The villain label was first mentioned by Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban and it has resonated with fans around the country on social media.

"Circumstances kind of dictate, I guess, that some people are going to see him as a villain," Kerr said. "But it's only because he decided to go elsewhere to play. He wanted to change his scenery, he wanted a new challenge. More than anything he wanted to play with our guys. He loves Draymond (Green) and Steph and Klay (Thompson) and Andre (Iguodala). Seeing those guys in New York, he loved seeing the chemistry that exists and he wanted to be a part of it."

Durant had sinking feelings after the July 4 announcement that he would join the Warriors and leave the only NBA team he had known after nine seasons, anchoring him to the bed in a rented house in the Hamptons.

Durant was not sick, but the ill will he sensed was coming as reaction to his departure from Oklahoma City prompted him to retreat.

"I didn't leave my bed, because I was like, 'Man, if I walk outside somebody might just try to hit me with their car or say anything negative to me,'" Durant told USA Today last month. "I just stayed in. I was trying to process it all. I wanted to be around family, and positive support. It felt different. I mean I've been somewhere for so long and then to make a change like that (which) nobody knew was coming, that nobody didn't think I would do, of course I didn't know how it would be received afterwards. But at some point, I just said, 'Look man, life goes on. Life moves on, and I can't hide forever,' so I just had to face it."

Durant's first game against Russell Westbrook and the rest of the Thunder is tentatively scheduled in the second week of the season on Nov. 3 in Oakland, Calif., ESPN.com reported Monday.

The Thunder are tentatively scheduled to play host to Durant as a member of the Warriors for the first time on Feb. 11, sources told ESPN, although changes can be made before the league officially releases the entire 2016-17 schedule within the next week.

In the meantime, Durant scored 25 points as Team USA routed China 119-62 on Saturday night in its opening game of the Rio Olympics.

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