NBA Setting Up Kevin Durant on OKC’s Ring Night Gets Fans Hyped: “Torturing KD”

Kevin Durant returns to OKC Thunder but as an opponent playing for the Houston Rockets on the opening day of the upcoming season.

NBA Setting Up Kevin Durant on OKC’s Ring Night Gets Fans Hyped: “Torturing KD”

Kevin Durant (Image via Firstsportz)

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The NBA 25-26 season starts on October 21st, but Kevin Durant might not like the opening day. Durant and his side, the Houston Rockets, will face the 2025 title holders, the Oklahoma City Thunder. But the worst part is that he will be in attendance to watch the Thunder players receive their rings and banners, with many fans claiming that it is the ultimate form of punishment for the veteran.

Why punishment? Kevin Durant was drafted as a rookie and began his NBA career with the Thunder back in 2007, and played for the franchise up until 2016. Durant led the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals, where the Miami Heat defeated them. Moreover, he was named Rookie of the Year in 2007–08 season, and won the NBA MVP award in 2014.

The team never won a championship despite the talent involved, and many Thunder supporters were disappointed and incensed when Durant decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Now, with the star heading to OKC but as an opponent has captured the fans’ attention.

‘KD’, known for his nonchalant nature, won’t be bothered by all this. He has a good record while facing his former side. Durant has averaged 30.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 3.1 assists in 15 games against the Thunder in his career. Going into the opening day of the season, the newly acquired Rockets star will look forward to making an impact for his side.

While many claim that Durant did not perform as per expectations with the Thunder and let them down due to his decision to sign for the Warriors, the star thinks otherwise. The Rocket star claimed once that he and his former teammate Russell Westbrook exceeded expectations back in that timeline, where even the Thunder GM and owner did not see it coming.

Nobody expected them to reach the NBA finals in 2012, where the league was dominated by the likes of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and others. Now, years later, Durant heads back to Oklahoma, but faces a strong side on the opening day, leaving fans excited.

Fans left amused after coming across the NBA opening day schedule featuring Kevin Durant and the Thunder

One thing is for sure, Kevin Durant will be welcomed with a lot of boos, hate, as well as immense criticism from the OKC fans when he plays against them on October 21. Fans surely did not have Durant returning to OKC on the NBA opening day on their cards.

The NBA fanbase had contradictory reactions regarding Durant returning to OKC. Some claimed that it would be torturous for KD to witness the Thunder stars getting their rings, while some claimed that it would be hilarious if Durant drops a world-class performance on them.

One fan wrote on X, “The NBA torturing KD in making him watch his former team hang the banner up and flash their championship rings.” Check out some of the fan reactions below:

The bitter taste of Durant joining the Warriors—the same team that he and the Thunder gave up a 3-1 lead to and lost to in that year’s postseason—never seems to go away, no matter how much time has gone by. This is something Durant will surely be reminded of on his return to OKC on opening night.

Kevin Durant made a clear case regarding the Thunder on the Mind The Game podcast

Something that Kevin Durant will surely look back upon is his tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder, as to why they were unable to achieve an NBA title after having one of his best stints in Oklahoma as a rising superstar. Notably, the NBA veteran recently made an appearance on the Mind the Game podcast alongside LeBron James and Steve Nash.

Kevin Durant 2
Kevin Durant (Credits: MARCA)

Durant spoke about various topics but also touched upon his time at the Thunder from 2007-2016. The NBA veteran made a clear case regarding his former side on the podcast.

When you reach the Finals and go through a run like that so quickly, I don’t think a GM or an owner was ready for that. We sped up the timeline, all of us… So when we reached the finals, you’re supposed to upgrade, fine-tune and make changes around. You can’t just one of the key figures of your team and expect us to continue doing what we was doing. 

Kevin Durant said on the Mind The Game Podcast

The 2011-2012 campaign was the most effective in the Thunder’s history before their 2025 championship triumph. Westbrook and Durant, both 23 at the time, guided the team to the Finals, where they were defeated by the Miami Heat. Durant is without a doubt one of the best players in Thunder history, even though his career did not go as long as fans had wanted.

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