During an interview with NBA reporter Marc J. Spears of Andscape, Phoenix Suns small forward Kevin Durant said his No. 35 jersey should be retired by the Golden State Warriors.
When Durant left the Warriors for the Brooklyn Nets in the summer of 2019, Golden State owner Joe Lacob said no player would ever wear No. 35 for the Dubs again.
“He should,” Durant said. “Look at the résumé. That would warrant me to get a jersey retirement, right? Do I want to be honored by a franchise I put work in for? Of course, I would love that. I had some great moments there. I built some solid relationships there. Yeah, man. Hell yeah, that would be sweet. I love that organization, man. I love my time there, seriously. Me leaving, people shouldn’t doubt that, because I left there.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns Updates
Durant won two championships and two Finals MVPs with the Warriors. Golden State made it to three consecutive Finals during the Durant era and had a chance to win three straight rings.
However, the Warriors lost to the Toronto Raptors in the 2019 Finals. Durant didn’t play in Games 1-4 due to a calf injury. He played only 11 minutes in Game 5 before tearing his right Achilles.
“It was a special time in our lives,” Durant said. “Guys were having kids. There was a lot of s— going on around that time that we still feel today. So that was a special time.”
Durant averaged 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists in 208 regular-season games with the Warriors. The future Hall of Famer averaged 29.6 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists in 48 playoff games.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Kevin Durant, Golden State Warriors, Phoenix Suns Updates
Durant’s Suns will take on the Warriors on opening night. It will be the first time Durant will play in front of Warriors fans since leaving in 2019.
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