Kevin Durant and the Golden State Warriors are mad at the Oklahoma City Thunder for exposing him to the elements.
The NBA superstar and his new team believe the Thunder mishandled his return to Oklahoma City on Feb. 11, ESPN’s Chris Haynes reported Monday, citing NBA sources. Thunder fans greeted Durant with a level of hostility the NBA hasn’t seen in many years, and the Warriors believe Oklahoma City should have done more to ease the tension before and during the game instead of remaining silent about his first return.
The Warriors would have wanted a Thunder official to hold a press conference before the game to acknowledge the significant contributions Durant to the team and city over his nine years there. Golden State also would have liked the Thunder to make a similar statement to the crowd at at Chesapeake Energy Arena. The Warriors feel the Thunder’s failure to do so unfairly subjected Durant and his mother to the full force of the crowd’s fury.
Haynes describes Durant as “emotionally drained” following the game.
Durant joined the Warriors from the Thunder last summer as a free agent in one of the more controversial moves in recent NBA history.
The Warriors will visit the Thunder again Monday, but Durant won’t play due to the MCL injury he suffered earlier this month. He’s expected to remain in the locker room but he’ll undoubtedly face more taunts if he appears on the Warriors bench.
Thumbnail photo via Mark D. Smith/USA TODAY Sports Images
