Suns Forward Kevin Durant: 'I Don't Care About Legacy'
Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant needs no introduction.
Two-time NBA world champion. League MVP. Numerous All-NBA and All-Star accolades that look like participation trophies to him at this point litter a resume that will see him enter the Basketball Hall of Fame upon first opportunity.
There's been plenty of talk surrounding his legacy - especially after he chose to join an already immensely talented Golden State Warriors team to finally push himself over the title drought.
In an exclusive interview with NBA insider Shams Charania, Durant said he doesn't care about how others view him.
“I don’t care about legacy,” Durant told The Athletic. “I used to. I used to want to carve out a lane or space in this game for myself that people can remember, but it’s become too much of a thing now. It just becomes too much of a focus on other people. What’s he done, what’s he done? Comparisons. Before, when we wasn’t doing all this debating, I cared about it … I’m about to be in the same breath as these top guys. It was big.
“Nowadays, I truly, truly don’t care. I truly just want to go out there and produce, be the best that I could be, go home, hang with my family, that’s it.”
Durant was traded from the Brooklyn Nets to a Suns team that features Chris Paul, Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton in the starting lineup.
He's carried expectations everywhere he's been, and that hasn't changed since he landed in the Valley.
"I feel pretty good. I know we gotta bring it every night now. We got to target on our back. So it’s still somewhat … a little anxious, a little anxiety coming into each game. Just because you want to be at your best, and you know everybody is targeting us. I’m looking forward to the challenge. We all are," he said.