Durant says his game evolved with roles as Rockets go on win streak

Kevin Durant, reflecting on a near-two-decade NBA career, said Tuesday that his game has evolved through distinct roles with Oklahoma City, Golden State and Brooklyn and that he is still driven by the daily grind of practice rather than by thoughts of retirement. The comments came as Durant settles into his first season with the Houston Rockets, where his leadership has coincided with a multigame winning streak as the team seeks to translate talent into title contention.

On the Pivot podcast, Durant described how his responsibilities changed with each stop. In Oklahoma City he said he was asked to score in varied ways, in Golden State he learned to emphasize defense and smaller, complementary actions, and in Brooklyn he was asked to be a complete player — scoring, facilitating and anchoring the defense. Asked about retirement, Durant said, "I don't even know how that feels. At this point I got the energy to get up and practice and work on my game. I enjoy that part of my life right now." He added that if he reaches a point where the work is no longer enjoyable, he would consider stepping away, and said he would be open to taking a smaller role if a team required it.