The Matt Thomas Show with Ross - Kevin Durant Talks The Process Of The Trade & What It Means To Be A Rocket 

Episode Date: September 29, 2025

Kevin Durant Talks The Process Of The Trade & What It Means To Be A Rocket 

And we are going to be joined here in a matter of moments by one of the greatest players ever to play in the National Basketball Association, period in his story. He looks up to the screen. He sees Oklahoma City's Thunder Media Day. Complete disgust. Must lose him. Kevin, I'm Matt. This is Ross. What's up, no, Ross?

I'm your radio play by play guy. You shook his hand at the University of Texas. 2007. And he's not washed his hand since then. That's true, actually. Me either. Well, I didn't realize you guys. You didn't know?

You didn't know? First of all, welcome to Houston. You've been here maintaining a time. Let me ask you this. We were at your place in Phoenix late last season. I think it was the game. Yeah, unfortunately, got hurted. Yeah.

Was there any thought looking at that young basketball team at the time? I could see myself being an extra part of this squad. Am I just making that up? You tell me. Yeah, for sure. I mean, because I was right around the time that there was so much noise around our team in Phoenix. And I was being put in the trade machine by everything. media website for the last three or four months.

And obviously Phoenix had told me that they were trading me a month or two before that. You know, so I had my eye on teams and I had my eye on places that I may potentially go anyway. So, yeah, I was, of course, I was checking out the Rockets. And I think everybody in the league seemed how fast they got to this point of being a respected team again, you know, because nobody really respected the Rockets coming in here four or five years ago or right after the Chris Paul, James Hardin era of basketball. Right. So to get that respect around the league so fast, it just stood out to me.

That brand of playing ball was really, it showed how high the IQ was, switching defenses, playing double big sometimes, playing small within the game, you know, coaches coaching every possession, and guys are focused and locked in on his message. You know, so I was peeping all of that type of stuff throughout the game. And I appreciated that, and I wanted to be a part of it. And so you'll have a phone call to EMA and say, hey, we can do this? You guys work with each other, what, national team? You did the Nets thing for a while?

Yeah, I didn't directly call email. You don't think you probably could, but because of the league rules. I didn't directly call. You are a rule follower. You're a rule follower, Katie. Exactly. I go by the book. That's right.

But, of course, it got out there. there that we both might be interested in one another. And it happened pretty quickly after that. I heard some rumors that Houston wanted to get involved at the trade deadline too when Phoenix had called around the league saying they wanted to see what my market was. So, you know, you hear all of these rumors. And, you know, where there's smoke, there's a little, you know, that's fire for sure. You know, so once everything could be, you know, agents could talk to GM.

and coaching and all that stuff. It just kind of worked out pretty fast. Do you have any specific, I mean, what is your attitude? What is your mindset coming into this season? Coming into a new situation and getting traded. I know there's obviously a lot of noise and you're somebody who doesn't try to pay attention to that at all. So what is your purpose and motivation for this upcoming season? That's changed?

Oh, man, just to, man, I'm a simple guy. I just try to focus on the craft every day, try to be better than I. I was yesterday. I know that I could play a huge part in what we do as a team, but we are a team and we all have to bring our best every day in order for us to reach our full potential as a group. So I try to focus on what I do the best and try to bring that to the group and also be as a resource of somebody who has some IQ, who has some experience. So whenever anybody needs to walk or talk through anything on the court, I try to be there for them as well. But I don't try to be too overbearing. I just try to go out there.

and play my game, work on my game, and bring that to the group and be a good teammate. My phone always open. My door always open to come over and hang out. So I just try to be coachable every day and learn. So I just try to be a teammate, man. I know I've accomplished a lot in this league and people look at me a certain way, but I really, really take pride in. I really consciously try to be just one of the guys every day. I need you to be two-year-old of former teams.

we can't beat the wars and you know that directly and you can beat us one time and then Oklahoma City's they're doing a lot of bragging up there right now so it's been incredible running for you my man I have called many of your games from a distance and see you

here wearing rockets Gary it's frankly surreal it is it is walking in and usually that route is that quick left to that visiting locker room and to walk past it and going to the their rockets lock right

We didn't went through some battles playing against the Rockets and flying into this city. Nervous to play these guys in this building in the playoffs. So to have those battles and to finally be here and down the Rockets' uniform, it is pretty surreal. It is a team that's young, but it's got the veteran guys. Clint's here now. You've got DFS. You know, Fred will be obviously from a distance. But you're not babysitting.

I mean, this is a team that is 152 games. It took Golden State to 7. I mean, there are clearly expectations, and that comes to no surprise to you. Yeah, I mean, expectations can do two things, you know, either make a man out of you or, you can run into the corner and curl up, you know. So I've been on teams where, you know, guys did both, guys, and rose to the occasion. And I've been on teams where we didn't know how to handle the expectations that come with being considered a championship contender, you know. So that noise comes with being a good team, and it's going to get loud throughout the season.

any bad play or loss or bad body language or anything. It'll be under a microscope and it be dissected. The great teams, regardless, block out all the noise and keep the main thing, the main thing, and focus on one another. So that's a small element that people don't talk about in the journey, but I'm looking forward to seeing what that would be like for this team because they never had these type of expectations. These young guys never played under these expectations before.

So I'm looking forward to see how that makes us as a group. All right. Last question, Longhorn. Go ahead. Happy birthday, age 37. Do you have you had any conversations or talk about back and backs, playing full 82? Yeah, and gifts, no. Playing a full 82 in a season.

Is that your goal or what are you trying to do as far as manage the season? I don't talk about managing the season. I just go out there and just play. What do you tell you to play? Yeah, I expect to play 82 for 48 minutes a night. That's how I'm looking at it. obviously that's not realistic but

you know I kind of keep my mind focused on playing every game like load managing and obviously I'll listen to the training staff that they figured they see as something that it worked for me but for the most part I'm trying to I'm trying to go there and play as much as I can

man all right now are we feeling about Arch Manning all right that's Kevin Durant with us here on the show he is Arch Arch SEC play we're going to show these boys

yes that you are for sure the number one pick in the draft there it is that's a mic drop right there one of the greatest of all time a man who's beating us too many times

now a legend in Houston Texas Kevin Durant I'm looking forward to calling these games quick timeout here on Sports Talk 790