The Phoenix Suns opened the season playing sharper basketball, fueling a growing belief in league circles that the team may have steadied itself after moving on from Kevin Durant.
The future Hall of Famer has heard that talk and has some thoughts.
Facing his former team on Monday with the Houston Rockets, he made it clear he does not share that view and does not believe his departure reflected his wishes.
“A place I didn’t want to leave and my first time being,” Durant said. “I don’t want to sound to dramatic but I will, [I was] kicked out of a place.”
The reaction from the Rockets bench was immediate.
The crowd followed, showering Durant with MVP chants as he walked off the floor after scoring the game-winning basket with a three-point shot to clinch a 100-97 overtime victory.
The Suns, meanwhile, were left to absorb another reminder of how complicated last season truly was.
Durant explains why the moment mattered
Durant did not shy away from the emotion behind the shot.
He acknowledged that Phoenix never fully found its rhythm during his time there and suggested the blame eventually found an easy landing spot.
“It felt like I been scapegoated for the issues we had as a team last year, so yeah it felt good to hit a game winning shot,” Durant said.
“You play with a little chip on your shoulder against your former team, especially when they trade you.”
Those words reflected a different tone than Durant has taken with previous exits.
Earlier in his career, he controlled the timing and destination when leaving Oklahoma City, Golden State, and Brooklyn. Phoenix, by his own account, marked the first time an organization made the decision for him.
The Suns explored moving him at the 2025 trade deadline, and Durant has now said repeatedly that he wanted to stay.
Chaos in the background in Phoenix
Last season in Phoenix was marked by uneven chemistry and nightly questions about leadership and direction.
Players and coaches never fully clicked, and the energy often felt heavy.
Since Durant‘s departure, the Suns appear more balanced under new coach Jordan Ott, but Durant believes that improvement does not erase what actually happened.
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