Kevin Durant shares his feelings about playing against the Thunder on opening night
The Rockets star opened up on his feelings after playing in the new season.
It turns out the upcoming season-opener between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Kevin Durant-led Houston Rockets is stirring up more tension than excitement, at least from Durant’s point of view. With the Thunder gearing up to receive their championship rings, the backdrop to the game has taken on an extra layer of Kevin-flavoured narrative that the NBA veteran is not too pleased about.
Durant, now 37, admitted he is unsure how to feel about being thrust into the spotlight in this unique scenario.
The league has, rightly or wrongly, framed the matchup as something of a pay-back or dramatic face-off; Durant meanwhile says he’s simply not emotionally invested in the spectacle the way some are expecting. “I don’t know whether to think that’s cool or not,” he admitted.
“I’m not happy or sad or mad... [I left] like a decade ago”
“I’m not happy or sad or mad [that] I missed out. I won a championship -- two of them, for one. And, for two, [I left] like a decade ago,” he added.
Having won two championships in his career, and having left Oklahoma City over a decade ago, Durant simply doesn’t feel like the protagonist in the upcoming show that is forcing him to play a main role in the story. Instead, he insists the focus should be where it belongs: on the Thunder, their organisation, their fans, and especially the ring-ceremony celebration. “Them getting their rings is the most important thing,” he made clear.
Rockets starters:
— StatMuse (@statmuse) October 20, 2025
— Amen Thompson (6’7)
— Kevin Durant (6’11)
— Jabari Smith Jr (6’11)
— Alperen Sengun (6’11)
— Steven Adams (6’11)
Huge. pic.twitter.com/O3tdoTuCg1
On 15 past occasions against the Thunder, as per Sofascore, Durant has an average of 30.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists. The upcoming game is on Tuesday, October 21, 2025 and starts at 8:30 pm ET.
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