Thunder fans fired up for Kevin Durant’s return
OKLAHOMA CITY — Hours before Kevin Durant was to play in Oklahoma City for the first time as a visitor Saturday, some Thunder fans were already gathered around Chesapeake Energy Arena, showing their contempt for the man who left as a free agent last summer and joined the rival Golden State Warriors.
The venom continued as the game approached. Durant was booed loudly during warmups, and booed even more loudly during starter introductions. After tip-off, he was booed whenever he touched the ball.
Brady Cox of Newcastle, Oklahoma, stood outside the arena wearing a blue Durant jersey that had the word ‘Traitor’ duct taped under the No. 35 on the front. He held a sign with ‘Mr. Unreliable’ at the top, referencing a headline that The Oklahoman ran above a photo of Durant during the 2014 playoffs and later apologized for.
“When they first came out with Mr. Unreliable, I was very upset,” he said. “I thought, ‘That’s nothing like KD.’ A few years later, I’m upset again. I’m like, ‘How could he do this to us?’”