After it was reported that the defending NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder will open the 2025-26 season against the Houston Rockets and star forward Kevin Durant, fans were curious about how he’d feel about watching his former franchise hang a championship banner.
Rather than giving a serious response to the question on social media, Durant decided to troll the fan who asked:
Durant began his career with the Thunder franchise before famously leaving to join the Golden State Warriors and winning back-to-back NBA championships, which still stand as the lone title victories of his illustrious career.
Despite his humorous response, Durant had to have felt some joy from watching Oklahoma City take home the title by defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games. The Thunder were the second-youngest team in NBA history to win the championship after a historic regular season in which they went 68-14 and broke the record for point differential. It was the franchise’s first championship since 1979, when it was still the Seattle Supersonics.
However, Durant notably didn’t attend any of the NBA Finals games in Oklahoma City during the seven-game series. Veteran point guard Chris Paul was among the former Thunder players to make an appearance courtside. Durant’s congratulatory message to the team after winning the title was also brief:
Durant is now with his fourth team since leaving Oklahoma City. He joined the Brooklyn Nets following his tenure with the Warriors before being traded to the Phoenix Suns, who shipped him to the Rockets this offseason.
The 36-year-old will certainly be looking to silence his doubters during his first year in Houston, but just like every other team in the league, the Rockets will face a tough challenge in trying to knock off the Thunder during the 2025-26 season.