Kevin Durant isn’t one to sugarcoat things, and when he recently looked back on his decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors in 2016, he didn’t hold back. Now with the Houston Rockets, Durant opened up alongside teammate Fred VanVleet, offering a candid take on what really drove him to join a team that was already a juggernaut.
Durant didn’t mince words when describing the challenges he faced in Oklahoma City. While he had a talented squad around him, he pointed out that the Thunder roster was built around specialists-guys who could lock up defensively but struggled to create their own shot, or shooters who were liabilities on the other end of the floor.
“In OKC, we had a lot of specialists,” Durant said. “Dudes that played defense but couldn’t score on their own.
Couldn’t shoot the ball, somebody who could shoot but then couldn’t guard that well. So, it's a lot that goes into trying to make that offense work.”
That kind of roster construction made things tough for Durant, especially when defenses zeroed in on him. Then came the call from Golden State-a team that had just gone 73-9 and was already humming on offense with Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
“They're calling me and I'm like, s***, we can average probably 120 [points] a game,” Durant said. “I don't have to worry about the zone every time I catch the ball.”
The move paid off-at least in the short term. Durant and the Warriors went on to win back-to-back championships, dominating the league with a level of offensive firepower that was nearly impossible to match. But the success didn’t come without its share of friction.
Durant’s time in Golden State wasn’t always smooth, particularly during his final season. While much of the public attention focused on his well-documented on-court spat with Draymond Green, behind the scenes, it was his relationship with head coach Steve Kerr that reportedly played a larger role in his eventual departure.
According to league insiders, Durant had growing frustrations with Kerr’s offensive system and wasn’t shy about voicing those concerns-both publicly and privately. That tension lingered even after Durant left for Brooklyn, and while the two have since patched things up, it left a lasting impression.
Those lingering issues were reportedly a key reason why a potential reunion with the Warriors-something that was on the table last season-never materialized. Despite the Warriors’ interest and the potential for another title run, Durant ultimately stayed in Phoenix before making the move to Houston over the summer.
Kevin Durant on why he left OKC and joined Golden State: “In OKC, we had a lot of specialists. Dudes that played defense but couldn’t score on their own. Couldn’t shoot the ball, somebody who could shoot but then couldn’t guard that well” pic.twitter.com/oLnUFcI99n
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) December 17, 2025
Now with the Rockets, Durant seems at peace with the path he’s taken, even if it’s been a winding one. He’s still chasing that next Finals appearance, but his reflections make one thing clear: every decision, from OKC to Golden State to now, has been about finding the right fit-not just for his game, but for his voice in the locker room.