NBA superstar Kevin Durant admitted he was "nervous" for his highly-anticipated Phoenix Suns debut before he scored 23 points against the Charlotte Hornets on Wednesday night.
Durant provided the expected explosive offensive element to the Suns in his debut, scoring 23 points while shooting 10-of-15 to lead Phoenix to a 105-91 win over the Hornets. The 13-time All-Star added six rebounds and a pair of blocks on a banner night for the franchise.
The 34-year-old played 27 minutes in the win, which was his first taste of action since he suffered an MCL injury on January 8 that ultimately kept Durant off the court for weeks. Durant has spent the past couple of weeks getting to know his new teammates on a personal level, as well as how they operate on the floor while watching from the sidelines.
However, he said his knee has been free from pain for a few weeks so Durant has been attempting to envision how he can fit into the Suns’ system with minimal disruption while also having the biggest positive impact. As a result, Durant was "nervous" for his debut as he wanted to impress his new teammates and coaching staff.
“I’ve played in almost a thousand basketball games, but today I was nervous,” Durant said. “It’s a new team, new group, and I want to play hard for them and be coachable. So, I was thinking about all that today.”
After being traded before All-Star weekend, Durant used the days between Sunday’s game against the Milwaukee Bucks and Wednesday's clash with the Hornets to get some practices in with his new teammates before finally stepping onto the floor. Star guard Devin Booker seemed to excel alongside Durant, scoring 37 points while adding seven assists and six rebounds in the win over the Hornets.
Donning the no.35 jersey, Durant was introduced at the Spectrum Center amid plenty of cheers as fans held up phones attempting to capture the moment. It was his first appearance in a Suns jersey since arriving in Phoenix in a blockbuster deal which saw the Nets acquire Mikal Bridges, Cam Johnson, Jae Crowder and four first round picks for Durant.
In the past, the former MVP has faced criticism for the controversy that surrounded Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn given the guard was a condition of securing Durant in the first place. However, the Suns want to ensure Durant simply enjoys his basketball while it will be up to other to lead the team.
“I think too many players in the NBA get too much pressure to lead,” said Suns coach Monty Williams, who was an assistant in Oklahoma City in 2015/16, Durant’s last year with the franchise. “I just don’t think it’s necessary. It’s my job to lead. Players do it in spots. But that’s the one thing I told him. I said, I’m not looking for you to lead. We just want you to be yourself and I think that’s where he’s the most free. To be himself.”
Suns head coach Monty Williams is clearly excited to see how Durant meshes with Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton, adding: “He’s more than a generational talent, he’s a historic talent. From that standpoint, you can use your imagination, just from a scoring standpoint. But I have tried to have an open mind about it not to box him in and say ‘he’s going to be this, this and that.’ So I’m looking forward to it as much as everybody else is.”
Durant and the Suns face the Chicago Bulls in their next clash on Friday night. The Bulls sit 11th in the Eastern Conference while Phonix are in fourth place in the Western Conference.
