Q&A: Kevin Durant on NBA Draft Day

Thursday, Jun. 28, 2007 By SEAN GREGORY

Kevin Durant

Jennifer Pottheiser / NBAE / Getty

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TIME: You're honestly telling me you didn't go to Texas with the intention of just playing for a year and then leaving.

Kevin Durant: Honestly, I did not expect to do a one-year-and-out.

TIME: So you were surprised by your freshman success this season?

Kevin Durant: Yeah, I was. I never scored 30 points in high school— maybe one time in four years. [At Texas], when I scored 30 I was so happy, like 'man, I scored 30 for the first time, and it was in college.' After that, they kept coming. I was like, 'man, I didn't know it was going to be like that.' But it was real fun. I've seen all different kinds of defenses, and a lot of teams talked, like 'oh, he's not going to do that against us.'" And inside, I just smiled and just played my game.

TIME: So where the heck did that performance come from?

Kevin Durant: I mean, back at home there were a lot of people saying, 'he's not big enough to do anything at Texas, he's not going to do this, he's not going to do that.' I was thinking of [Washington Wizards All-Star] Gilbert Arenas, because he said 'it's about proving people wrong.' A lot of people doubted me. And they still doubt me now to be honest. A lot of people are saying that, 'he's not going to do anything in the NBA.' But I just laugh at it.

TIME: So that doubt still drives you?

Kevin Durant: Yes. I'm cold blooded. Most people don't want me to do good. Some people who I thought were my friends—they seem to be like that as well. So I just try to be a different guy on the court. And whatever my team wants me to do, I try to be cold-blooded at it.

TIME: Who specifically is doubting you??

Kevin Durant: Some of my friends tell me, 'this dude over there, he's hating on you.' Saying 'you're not going to do anything, you're not ready, you shouldn't have left.' I mean I know I'm not going to do in the NBA what I did in college. That's for sure. But I just tell them, 'just watch me man. Don't worry about me. I'm going to handle what I'm supposed to handle. One of these days I'm going to show you.'

TIME: What NBA player are you most looking forward to guarding?

Kevin Durant: It will be fun to try to stop LeBron James, though it's not going to happen at all. It will be a task at hand—I'm going to need a couple of guys, and maybe even the ref—to help me out.

TIME: OK, it's Thursday night, and Portland has just passed you over as the number one pick, selecting Greg instead. What's your message to the Blazers and their fans?

Kevin Durant: It's no harsh feelings between me and Portland. Not at all. I can't give them a Gilbert Arenas and say I'm going to have 50 or 60 on them (laughs). I can't do that at all.