"It feels good to play against a team that booted you out of the building and scapegoated you for all the problems they had, And it hurt because I put all my effort and love and care towards the Suns and the Phoenix area and Arizona in general. But that's just the business, that's the name of the game. So, when you play against a (former) team, yeah you got a chip on your shoulder."
"It's nothing but love for the players, but I want to beat that team, I want to show them that I still got some juice in the tank. Even though I'm old, I still can play. I feel like every player has that mentality playing against their former team. I don't think it's malicious in any way towards them. But just as a competitor, you want to go out there and beat them."
Kevin Durant scored 26 points and hit a 27-foot three with 1.1 seconds left to lift the Rockets to a 100-97 victory over the Phoenix Suns. Durant said the shot mattered more because it came against a team he felt had "kicked him out" after he invested effort and care in the Phoenix area. He described feeling scapegoated, carrying a chip on his shoulder, and treating the situation as business. Durant spent 2½ seasons in Phoenix after a February 2023 trade, was an All-Star twice there, and joined the Rockets this summer in a deal that sent Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green to the Suns. He said he wants to beat his former team and show he still has playing ability despite his age.
Read at ESPN.com
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