Kevin Durant Press Conference Open Thread

by Peter Bean on Apr 10, 2007 2:57 PM CDT in Basketball Comment 38 comments

In one hour (4:00 p.m. CT), Kevin Durant will announce his intentions for next year. It's all but certain he will announce his departure for the professional ranks, but I'm sure there are a few of you like me who will listen anyway, in case we get another Ricky Williams stunner.

I'm not holding my breath, but I'll be tuning in to AM 1300 at 4:00 just in case.

If he announces he's leaving, this will be our "Thanks for the great year" thread. If he announces he's returning. . .

Well, let's not even think about it. Kevin, it was amazing.

It's official. As expected, Durant to the pros. Kevin, best of luck. You were amazing to watch.

By the way, if you run into me over the next 24 hours, expect to see something like this:

--PB--

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A sad day. It's official.

GOOD LUCK KD!! You fucking rock.

by roywilliamsisgod on Apr 10, 2007 3:16 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I've got my fingers crossed

But I'm not getting my hopes up.

If he follows Barnes' lead and makes an aggie joke or two, I'll consider it a win either way.

by Meekrob on Apr 10, 2007 3:20 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

He'll shout out to Acie Law

while holding up his gazillion dollar Nike contract, "that's what I f*$#ing do...that's what I do!"

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Apr 10, 2007 3:26 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

i still think he's staying

why was he wearing that same cheap looking suit last night? he didn't exactly look like a multi-millionaire.

by Vice President Coco on Apr 10, 2007 3:23 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Sorry ...

... but the DMN just reported that the team confirmed ... he's gone.

by EddieTheAlbinoSquirrel on Apr 10, 2007 3:27 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

PB,

Are you Stephen Malkmus and Paul McCartney's lovechild?

by Bob LaBlog on Apr 10, 2007 3:41 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Awkward

It's kinda awkward that KD's teammates are at the press conference.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Apr 10, 2007 3:58 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

no fair...

...creating any more glimmer of hope

...bleeding burnt orange in nyc since 2002

by cwofford on Apr 10, 2007 4:01 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I'm not holding out hope

I just think it's weird that they came.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Apr 10, 2007 4:02 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

<Tear.....>

"I enjoyed my year here at Texas." Durant said. "All the fans and everyone here at Texas made me feel right at home, considering I was so far away from home. I will always be a Longhorn and never forget what the people at Texas have done for me."

by ahaley on Apr 10, 2007 4:01 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I better see him flashing the horns next season

Just stay loyal KD. Horns4VR=Friends4Life.

by ahaley on Apr 10, 2007 4:02 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Thanks for the memories KD

You were a hell of a player - my second favorite Longhorn basketball player of all time.

Hook 'Em

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Apr 10, 2007 4:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Who's first?

TJ?

I have a commitment to the truth.

by steezy on Apr 10, 2007 4:12 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rafters?

So the question is, does his jersey end up in the rafters? One and gone says no to me, no matter how good he was. Sadly I'll probably be very wrong.

by ahaley on Apr 10, 2007 4:10 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

I don't understand ...

... why it matters how long. We were fortunate to have him for even a single year. He became the first freshman to ever win all the POY awards ... a sweep was amazing.

Hope we retire it soon. He deserves it. And having a first/second-round pick will only help with recruiting.

by EddieTheAlbinoSquirrel on Apr 10, 2007 4:13 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Rafters

I guess I just don't see it that way. I respect the other opinion, it's just not mine. Or perhaps I'm uncertain.

by ahaley on Apr 10, 2007 4:17 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

I agree

Kevin, thanks for the memories and best of luck in the future. By all means let's retire his number. His accomplishments are truly remarkable.

I never will forget ol' what's-his-name.

by Horntod on Apr 10, 2007 4:24 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Why do I care that he's going to class?

It shows that he ALMOST stayed? Who cares. I think it's a silly point to keep pushing.

by ahaley on Apr 10, 2007 4:18 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Scholarship punishment

If he quits going to class now, he fails out, Texas gets penalized and we can lose scholarships.

That's why it matters.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Apr 10, 2007 4:19 PM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Take care of your folks, Kevin

They obviously did a good job raising you. As a parent myself, I was always impressed with the way he conducted his business - on and off the court. Go cash that lottery ticket and have an extraordinary life!

by beast in bama on Apr 10, 2007 4:25 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

BTW

1300 said, "and now here is the press conference......(silence).....(then music the entire time)"

I wish 1300 would make up their mind what they can cover and what they can't. It makes no sense. They covered the spring scrimmage, but not a press conference.

Cats and dogs sleeping together.

by EYESofBEVO on Apr 10, 2007 4:26 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Nothing but love for KD...

...he gave me a truly unforgettable experience in the O-Zone, Baylor, and Oklahoma City. I'll be a student at UT for seven years, but in my time at law school, I can only hope to reach that same level of excitement in the Erwin Center during the last few minutes of the A&M game. I will definitely miss his dunk contests with Pittman in the pre-game and especially miss hearing his name announced last in the introductions...

You're pretty good, KD...

by txtwstr7 on Apr 10, 2007 4:31 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

KD - god luck and god speed

What a total badass. His number should be retired, despite him only being around for a year. He was a stud, it doesn't matter. Sweeping the POY awards is just sick.

Good luck, KD in your future. I cannot imagine what it would be like to have him for another year. It almost wouldn't be fair.

I liked how Rick dropped the,"well that would be like me thinking about PJ, Lamarcus and Daniel playing this year with Kevin" when he was asked if he thought about what it would be like with KD next year. "We don't play the 'what if' game here at The University of Texas." We just recruit bad MF to play for one year.

by jimmer on Apr 10, 2007 6:44 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Good Luck KD - make us proud!

by Screw O.U. on Apr 10, 2007 9:08 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

Go to NBA Hell

Yes, that's right. All the crybaby "you were so good, thanks for one year" crap is making me sick. Could you beleive this quote? "It wasn't the shoe contract or anything like that." Retire his jersey after one year (when we didn't even make it to the sweet 16)? You gotta be kidding. Hate me if you will, but I think this is classless and I wish he'd never even come here. No way he's a Longhorn for life after one and done. That is all.

Thursday, November 30, 1893

by fury17deco on Apr 10, 2007 11:03 PM CDT reply actions 0 recs

"Hate me if you will"

done and done...

by billyzane on Apr 11, 2007 12:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

LOL BZ, you are the "Counselor"

Straioght to the point, case closed on fury17deco.

"Nobody leaves this field until we beat the hell out of them".................... L.J."Louis"Jordan in 1913 before kickoff of the Texas/ou game.

by ouALWAYSsux on Apr 11, 2007 9:05 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Not sure I understand

Fury, I understand being disappointed with the outcome, but I'm not understanding the rationalization for the negative thoughts toward KD.

Is your point of view that athletes should commit themselves to four years of Texas, no matter what? That they should discount what might be best for them as individuals simply because the lure of money and family security isn't something people should value?

I don't want to "hate" on you. I want to understand why you're unhappy with Kevin.

--PB--

by Peter Bean on Apr 11, 2007 12:10 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

leaving college early

Did you come to the drum to watch a game this year? How many games did you watch live on TV? Kevin Durant played AWEE bbal and watching him play was hell of a joy. Anyone who had fun watching him play should be thankful to him.

If you think everyone should stay in college for four years, regardless of options they have outside of school, you are mentally retarded. Bill gates, Michael Dell, my uncle and Kevin Durant all left college because of better opportunities outside of school.

By you criteria, Vince Young, Kevin Durant and TJ Ford are all classless "punks". In the new era, these are the players who defined Texas. For me, someone who doesn't respect these players CANNOT be a longhorn fan.

by Cyrus on Apr 11, 2007 1:45 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Amen, Cyrus

I can't believe this crap, dissing someone who does what he thinks is right.

I never will forget ol' what's-his-name.

by Horntod on Apr 11, 2007 11:54 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Goes to show you

even at Texas we have some classless fans.

Way to prove the Aggies right fury.

by Wells on Apr 11, 2007 2:11 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Welcome back

brazos. Nice to see you snuck back in and have been keeping a low profile.

How selfish do you have to be to tell some kid that he's "classless" because he chose to make something more of himself rather than spend a couple more years entertaining you for free? That's like a patient in the hospital telling a doctor that he's classless because he could have continued on as a candy-striper and paid more attention to the patient's petty needs.

Grow up. The world isn't about you, or me, or the Longhorns. It's about each person doing what's best for him or herself. In some peoples' cases that's going to include selflessness. In most it's not and that's fine because it's all down to their free will.

So take that.

by Kahuna on Apr 11, 2007 8:34 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

The thing is

This wasn't a selfish decision. That would have been coming back to school. If you choose to believe his rationale, and there's really no reason not to, then he did it for his family.

by Meekrob on Apr 11, 2007 9:08 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Quoting Obi-wan

it all depends on your point of view. brazos-redux up there would say that coming back to school would have been the ultimate act of selflessness, giving joy and hope to thousands of Longhorn fans and getting nothing in return. He'd probably also say that Durant's family isn't "that bad off" and could handle him staying at Texas another year.

To reference another classic film (The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly), who's the better person: Tuco the bandit who robs and kills to support himself in a harsh, unforgiving world or his brother the priest, who left his family and his younger brother to fend for themselves (and whose absence may have led Tuco to turn to a life of crime) to serve "humanity" through the church? (Fun trivia: Eli Wallach, who played Tuco, is a UT grad.)

So take that.

by Kahuna on Apr 11, 2007 9:36 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

Kah, I think you got it..(brazos).............

Have a great honeymoon in Mexico Kah..........

"Nobody leaves this field until we beat the hell out of them".................... L.J."Louis"Jordan in 1913 before kickoff of the Texas/ou game.

by ouALWAYSsux on Apr 11, 2007 9:09 AM CDT up reply actions 0 recs

PB, I may need to be severely punished

for defiling such a solemn post with such a petty request, but seeing as how i didnt get to participate in the radio show last night:

This is how I'm gay- I really like that shirt you've got on in the picture and i would appreciate it if you'd share where you got said shirt. And i'm completely unashamed to ask.

by HWO on Apr 11, 2007 11:30 AM CDT reply actions 0 recs