Kevin Durant Makes Thunder Admission 9 Years After Leaving

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Ayomide Adeduyite | Last updated Jul 1, 2025 8:26 PM ET

The Oklahoma City Thunder are riding high after capturing the 2025 NBA title behind a historic run from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who capped his MVP season by leading the franchise to its first championship since moving from Seattle. With young stars like Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren supporting Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City has become the envy of the league for its homegrown talent and patient rebuild.

As the Thunder celebrate the start of what many believe could be a new NBA dynasty, former cornerstone Kevin Durant is looking back at a moment that shaped the franchise’s trajectory more than a decade ago.

Durant, a four-time scoring champion with the Thunder, together with Russell Westbrook and James Harden, helped the team reach the NBA Finals in 2012, eventually losing to the LeBron James-led Miami Heat.

Appearing on Mind the Game podcast with the Los Angeles Lakers star and Steve Nash, Durant opened up about the Thunder’s 2012 Western Conference championship team, admitting nobody was ready for how good it got so fast.

“It’s a different era," he admitted. "I think we exceeded expectations with that team (in 2011–12). And when you reach the Finals, and you go through a run like that so quick, I don’t think a GM or owner was ready for that… We sped up the timeline, all of us."

This admission comes nine years after Durant's departure from Oklahoma City in 2016, when he joined the Golden State Warriors.

Amid OKC's rise, general manager Sam Presti faced heavy criticism for dealing away Harden rather than paying three rising stars. But more than a decade later, Presti is now being praised for building another contender—this time with a young core that looks ready to sustain success.

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

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