James Worthy is one, apparently, and it got back to Durant in a funny way. Durant told the story on a
recent podcast with The Ringer’s Bill Simmons.
“We played in Vancouver, first (preseason) game in a Warriors uniform,” Durant said on the podcast. “And I see James Worthy walking out as I was leaving the game. It’s a legend here. ‘Big Game James.’ I didn’t get to see him play but I just know all about him. I’m a little skeptical at this point to even talk to anybody from the generation before because I don’t even know how they feel about me as a person, as a player because these dudes — they look at me as like, ‘Oh you switching teams, you chasing this, you chasing that.’ So I’m just gonna keep it moving.”
But Worthy came up to talk to him.
“He was like: ‘Man. Don’t worry about that stuff. People change jobs every single year, every single day. Don’t worry about that. Just go out there and keep working and go win,'” Durant said. “So I’m like: ‘Man that’s nice.'”
Durant flew back to the Bay Area feeling really good about his interaction with Worthy.
“So I came back home that night and my boy Randy (Williams) — I was like: ‘Man. James Worthy was cool. He showed me so much love. I appreciate that,'” Durant said. “(Randy) was like: ‘Huh? He was talking so bad about you on TV. He was saying Magic wouldn’t have done that. I wouldn’t have done that.’ I was like, yo, stop selling out. Stop selling your brothers out. This is a fraternity. Stop selling us out for NBA TV, Turner Sports, ESPN, stop doing that man and then come in my face talking that nonsense.”
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