NBA PRESEASON: DURANT BALIK SA PORMA

SA UNANG pagkakataon sa loob ng 18 buwan ay nagbalik sa court si Kevin Durant noong Linggo ng gabi.

Sa kanyang unang preseason appearance para sa Brooklyn Nets, tumabo si Durant ng 15 points sa 24 minutong paglalaro. Hindi siya naglaro magmula nang mapunit ang kanyang right Achilles tendon sa Game 5 ng 2019 NBA Finals bilang miyembro ng Golden State Warriors noong June 10, 2019.

“It felt great, you know, to be back in a routine and get back on the floor and feel like a player again,” wika ni Durant matapos ang 119-114 home win ng Brooklyn kontra Washington Wizards. “I didn’t think I played great. I felt I had some solid moments.”

Si Durant, 32, ay 5-of-12 shooting at nakakolekta ng 3 rebounds at 3 assists.

“I was anxious, nervous,” ani Durant. “I visualized this moment for so long — nine, 10 months of thinking about how I’ll be in the next stage of my career. I felt like I was chomping at the bit. Especially when COVID hit, I was just so frustrated. I didn’t see when the season would start in the future. So I was just going through it. To go through this felt solid and I have to keep building on it.”

Natuwa naman si bagong Nets coach Steve Nash sa ipinakikita ni Durant sa kasalukuyan.

“It’s kind of remarkable he’s at the level he’s at,” sabi ni Nash patungkol kay Durant. “It’s amazing. This is an injury that very few people have kind of conquered, so to speak. So for him to be able to be in this position, he’s done everything we could’ve asked.”

Si Durant ay isang two-time NBA champion at naging MVP noong 2013-14 season bilang miyembro ng Oklahoma City Thunder. May average siya na 27 points at 7.1 rebounds sa loob ng 12 seasons (849 games) sa  Seattle SuperSonics, Thunder at Warriors.