Kevin Durant Shares Refreshing Reaction To Getting Viciously Booed In Oklahoma City: 'I Understand It'

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Kevin Durant last played for the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2016, but despite his bolting from the franchise seven years ago, fans in OKC haven't let it go. Durant was greeted with some serious boos ahead of his return on Sunday.

Thunder fans were certainly paying attention during the Phoenix Suns' introduction ahead of tip-off. While you could hear a few cheers for Durant as his name was called, the overwhelming majority of fans were booing.

Given that the Suns ended up winning the game 128-118, Durant was in a good mood while speaking with the media. When asked about still being booed all these years later, instead of giving a non-answer like some may have expected, Durant was honest with his reaction.

READ: CHARLES BARKLEY CALLS KEVIN DURANT ‘SENSITIVE’ AND ‘ABJECT FAILURE’; KD RESPONDS

“I understand it, I meant so much to this community and just for me to leave like that. Early on, I didn’t get it. But I get that an NBA team is a part of your community, players so entrenched in your community," Durant explained.

“There was more love this time than there has been in the past,” the Suns star followed up. “I’m just focused on that. I’ve had so many great memories here, so many people I’ve met that have just changed my life. I’ll forever be grateful to be a part of this organization.”

It's safe to say that a younger Durant wouldn't have given this same response after being booed by everyone in the arena, but after winning two rings and a pair of Finals MVPs it's easier to let that stuff roll off your back.

Durant scored 35 points in Phoenix's road win on Sunday, which helped the mood inside the locker room as well.

Follow Mark Harris on Twitter @ItIsMarkHarris

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.