Kevin Durant 'Sees Some Similarities' With Himself and Tre Johnson

Former Texas Longhorns star Kevin Durant talked about freshman star Tre Johnson as he made his return to Austin.

Jan 31, 2025; San Francisco, California, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) stands on the court before the start of the game against the Golden State Warriors at the Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images / Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

AUSTIN -- Former Texas Longhorns star and Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant made his return to Austin Thursday at the Moody Center in a 120-109 loss to the San Antonio Spurs.

Durant met with the local media Wednesday and reflected on his time at Texas but also delivered some big-time praise toward Longhorns freshman guard Tre Johnson.

"He's conducting himself like a pro already," Durant said. "You could tell when I was at practice yesterday, just his work habits already at that level of focus that it needs to be at in order for you to be a great player for a long time. So just keep doing what he's doing, and he's gonna learn more about the game with more experience."

Feb 15, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Tre Johnson (20) pauses before a game against the Kentucky Wildcats at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images / Scott Wachter-Imagn Images

Durant added that there's some similarities between himself and Johnson, though pointed to their mental approach more than their play style and body type. As elite a scorer as Johnson is, it's hard to compare his 6-6 frame to Durant's rare combination of 7-foot size and smooth scoring ability.

"Just the mentality of just wanting to be great, and the work ethic, that will to win," Durant said. "You know, you can tell that he's got the determination to go out there and win. He's passionate about the game of basketball. So yeah, I see some similarities there. We're similar to a lot of players in that regard, but just his approach to the game, I think we're similar in that area."

Johnson has certainly lived up to the hype during his first year at Texas. As March approaches, he's currently leading the SEC in scoring with 19.8 points per game. He's coming off a career-high 32 points in the 82-78 win over No. 15 Kentucky on Feb. 15.

Johnson and the Longhorns will look to continue working their way toward an NCAA Tournament berth when they visit the South Carolina Gamecocks on Saturday.

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