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Kevin Durant Addresses Infamous 'Crying' Rumor

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sadik Hossain | Last updated Jun 10, 2025 8:55 AM ET

Kevin Durant spent nearly a decade building his legacy in Oklahoma City, but in 2016, he decided that it was time for a change. Just weeks after the Thunder fell to the Warriors in a hard-fought Western Conference Finals, Durant made a controversial move to the very team that had just eliminated Oklahoma.

Speculation around Durant’s next move was rampant before he signed with the Warriors. The 2014 NBA MVP reportedly drew interest from several teams, including the LA Clippers.

Amid the frenzy of Durant’s 2016 free agency, NBA reporter Aaron Bruski claimed Clippers owner Steve Ballmer was moved to tears while meeting the star forward.

Clippers meeting with Durant was “intense” and “at one point Steve Ballmer was crying” but everyone grew closer and a big lesson was learned
— Aaron Bruski (@aaronbruski) July 2, 2016

"Clippers meeting with Durant was 'intense' and 'at one point Steve Ballmer was crying' but everyone grew closer and a big lesson was learned," Bruski tweeted back then.

Years after the drama, a fan finally asked Durant about that infamous Clippers meeting—and the Phoenix Suns star responded with a humorous confession.

"Somebody crying was news to me, we didn’t know what engagement farming was back then, Aaron was ahead of his time," Durant replied.

Somebody crying was news to me, we didn’t know what engagement farming was back then, Aaron was ahead of his time
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) June 9, 2025

The meeting didn’t go quite as planned, and Durant ultimately decided against signing with Steve Ballmer and the Clippers.

As for Bruski, he certainly made the most of the moment, capitalizing on the unusual story to “engagement farm,” as Durant cheekily put it, following the widely reported and memorable encounter.

Durant finds himself in the hunt for a new team this offseason once again. Both he and the Suns are actively exploring potential trade opportunities.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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