NCAA March Madness 08: Kevin Durant Interview

After a prolific freshman season at Texas, Kevin Durant is getting acclimated to the level of competition in the NBA. Judging from Durant's 20 points per game average through the first 18 games, he isn't having problems adjusting. We had a chance to catch up with KD after practice and talk to him about his work on March Madness 08, his transition to the pros, and the mark he plans to leave on the sport.

GameSpot: How did you feel when you heard you were going to be on the cover of March Madness 08?

Kevin Durant: I was ecstatic, man. I've been playing this game for a long, long time and just to be in a great group of guys to be on the cover of the game was a blessing for me. And it's going to be crazy seeing myself in the stores, on the shelves, with my face on the game.

GS: How was your experience with EA's motion capture for the game?

KD: It was a great experience. I mean, it's something that I had seen on TV before, growing up, and that's something that I always wanted to do--making moves and seeing it being incorporated into the game right in front of your face is great. It was fun for the guys that were there with me and it's something that I would like to do again. It was a very fun experience for myself.

GS: As far as gaming is concerned, do you prefer the college game a little bit more than the NBA?

KD: Oh, no, I think it's all the same to me, to be honest with you. But both games are very fun and intense. I get very into the games when I'm playing, especially when I'm playing against my family members or my friends. So I try to play each game evenly, you know what I mean? Once March Madness comes out, I'll play that for about a week straight then go to NBA Live and kind of switch it up like that.

GS: Oh, that's cool. Do you guys get a chance to play a lot of games when you're not on the court?

KD: Yeah, I try. We have a lot of free time to ourselves. So after practice or workouts or things like that I try to get some time in on the game, try to hone my skills a little bit.

GS: So who's the biggest gamer in the Sonics locker room?

KD: Really, you don't really hear too many people talking about the game. So I think myself, I'm a big gamer. I like to play a lot. That's what I do in my free time just to get away from everything, just go out and play some games.

GS: Just a little unwind, huh?

KD: Yes, sir.

GS: Recently EA ranked you as the number two-ranked college basketball player of all time. What do you think about that rating?

KD: I think it's a little too high, to be honest with you. I mean, there were some great college players. But it's a blessing to be in this company with guys like Michael Jordan, Erving Johnson, Clyde, and Larry Bird and [guys] like that. But it will be cool just to play as myself on a college game as well. It's a blessing for me.

GS: Coming into this, your rookie season, what was going on in your head just prior to your first game? Did you feel you shouldn't push the issue too much or maybe you didn't want to try to force shots?

KD: I just wanted to be aggressive and try to get that win the first game. And unfortunately we didn't come out with the win but I think we played very well. After the fourth quarter--we kind of gave up in the fourth, kind of put our guard down and didn't put pressure on Denver in the fourth. But I think we're capitalizing on that and we're getting better.

GS: So far, what's the biggest adjustment you've had to make to the NBA, if anything?

KD: The one biggest thing is the travel and how we travel almost every day and then how we play games one day and practice that next morning and things like that. The NBA schedule is just so different from a college schedule. Right now, I've already played over half of a college season so far and this is only the first month. And I think in about two more weeks, I would have played a whole college season. So you just got to get used to that. And once you get used to that I think everything is like smooth sailing from there on in.

GS: Do you think fatigue is going to be a factor, as it is for a lot of rookies, as the season progresses?

KD: I wouldn't say that. I just got to keep eating right and keep working out and keep getting better. I think that's all that matters is that you've just got to tell yourself that you're going to continue to get better, continue to grow as a team and as a player.

GS: What has it been like adjusting to the two-guard position?

KD: That's something new for me. I've never played this position before. I just got to learn how to defend two-guards in this league and learn how to get the shot off against smaller, quicker, and stronger guys. But it's been fun. I'm playing against the best players night in and night out, guarding the best players night in and night out. And that's only going to make me better. I think that it's an adjustment for me but I'm getting used to it and, with the help of my coaches and my teammates, I'm getting better.

GS: Do you feel that that's more of a natural position for you or would you prefer to move back to, like, a three or a four?

KD: I never played this position before but I'm willing to give it a try. I'm just willing to go out there and help my team out as much as possible. The majority of my basketball career, from being young to all the way to college, I've played mainly a three and a four. This is a big change for me coming into the league to start off playing the two. It's something I've got to get used to and I've just got to keep getting better.

GS: You recently said that you expected to play this well in the NBA. Were you surprised that the transition from the college game to the pros was this smooth?

KD: Oh, I don't think it's gone as smoothly as I would want it to be. But I'm still learning. I'm still getting used to this game. It's been very fun. Each game has been very fun just getting to play against some of the players that I looked up to coming up. I've just got to keep getting used to the game and keep having fun and everything's going to be OK.

GS: Well speaking of players that you looked up to, has there been anyone in the NBA that you went to for advice or anybody that you model your game after?

KD: I try to talk to the guys that have been in the league for a while and are veterans on their teams... Kurt Thomas, Wally Szczerbiak. They tell me things I need to do to become a better player. I try to talk to LeBron and Dwight Howard and guys like that sometimes, and Carmelo. They kind of show me my way being a rookie in this league. And guys like that are a big help for me because they've been through it. They were starting in the same situation coming in there as teenagers coming into this league. So guys like that can help me out a lot.

GS: And as for players you modeled your game after?

KD: I looked up to a lot of players. I looked up to Tracy McGrady and Vince Carter, Rashard Lewis, guys like that--versatile guys that can do just about everything on the floor. I just tried to watch those guys each and every night when I had the chance, to just try to take little bits and pieces from each one of them and try to incorporate them to mine.

GS: I noticed you mentioned Rashard Lewis. Rashard Lewis also kind of came into the NBA also with a slightly smaller build. Do you kind of see that same transition to more of a three or four as you progress in your career?

KD: I mean, whatever my team needs me to do I'm willing to go out there and do. I try to see myself as more than just a position but as a player, a guy that can do just about everything on the floor. I mean, that's why I'm trying to work hard each and every day on my game and trying to expand my game as much as possible. So whenever my coach needs me to play the three, four, or five [for a couple possessions], I can do it.

GS: What was it like to play with Tayshaun Prince before the season? Did he have any advice for you?

KD: Everybody's been telling me the same thing, "Just go out there and have fun and just play the game you've been playing your whole life." I mean, I know it's a bigger stage. They told me that it's a bigger stage. But just go out there and have fun and everything's going to be all right.

GS: After such a special season at Texas, what's it been like for you personally to play on a team that's struggling to win right now?

KD: I mean, that's tough. With the exception of only a couple of games, we've been in every game and we just got to learn how to pull it out at the end. It's still early on in the season and we've just got to build up some momentum and get some of these games.

GS: How is the chemistry of a team like this in comparison to your team at Texas?

KD: I think the chemistry is there in the locker room. We all enjoy being around each other. We all help each other out a lot. And we're new. I mean, everybody here is new basically. And we just got to get used to each other and I think we're still trying to figure that out. We've only been together for about a month and a half now. We just got to get used to that. In college you had almost a whole month and a half to practice with each other. Here, we only had like two weeks. I think that's a bigger difference. We went from training camps straight to games within a two-week span. So we just got to get used to playing with each other and we'll be OK.

GS: What's your reaction to the rumors that the Sonics my relocate to Oklahoma City?

KD: We're letting the owners and the proper authorities deal with that. We're trying not to get into that. We're just going out there and trying to play our hardest each and every night.

GS: Where do you see your game in five years?

KD: Right now, I'm not trying to think about how I'm going to be in four or five years. Hopefully, I'll be an OK player. Right now I'm just trying to get better each and every day and just take it a day at a time and take it a game at a time. Hopefully down the line everything will pan out the way I want it to.

GS: Has there been any player that you saw on TV in NBA games but surprised you when you had to compete against him face-to-face?

KD: I knew coming into the league that everybody would be good. So I really didn't kind of say, "That player is not good," but once I came to the league, I mean, everybody is good. Everybody is a threat on the floor. You just got play everybody as if they were the best player on the floor.

GS: All right. A tough question here...how do you think the Sonics are going to finish this year?

KD: Wow. I can't tell you. We're just getting better. That's all I can say. We're going to take it a game at a time and hopefully we'll build up some momentum and get some wins at home and on the road and hopefully make it to the playoffs. That's the ultimate goal right now, so far.

GS: What kind of legacy do you want to leave on the sport of basketball? As far as this season goes, is your aspiration to be Rookie of the Year?

KD: I mean, I think coming into the NBA I think that's everybody's goal is to be mentioned as one of the greatest players to play the game. But right now I'm just trying to portray to the fans that I'm going to work hard and that I'm going to do what I need to do to help the team out. I think that if I show them that, they'll be behind us 110 percent. That's all I can give them. [As far as Rookie of the Year,] I'm not really into that as much. I'm just trying to go out there and help my team and try to help build this franchise into a playoff kind of a team each and every year. I think that's the goal we want, to get to being a threat in the Western Conference each year.