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ATLANTA – NOVEMBER 16: Kevin Durant #35 of the Seattle SuperSonics celebrates with teammates after scoring the game-winning basket over the Atlanta Hawks as time expired in the second overtime at Philips Arena November 16, 2007 in Atlanta, Georgia. Seattle defeated Atlanta 126-123. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Kevin Calabro, longtime SuperSonics play-by-play broadcaster: We were all in a lifeboat together. We didn’t know what was going to happen. … I think 50 percent of the group thought we were honestly moving to Oklahoma City and 50 percent thought that at the last minute something would be done to keep us in Seattle. That always held over our head.
But obviously our focus was on Kevin Durant and the way he was playing and his ability to score the ball. With his thin frame, we were all kind of wondering if he was going to be able to withstand the [slogs] of the NBA. And, boy, was he terrific.
Kenny Mayne, longtime ESPN personality and Seattle-area native: I think what I was struck by in watching him, whether on TV or in person, he kind of reminded me of Randall Cunningham, because I played football with Cunningham – Randall was a freshman when I was a senior [at UNLV]. My observation was [Kevin] was all arms and legs and still growing into himself. And this isn’t a criticism – you could just tell, like, oh my God, wait until he actually gets the whole thing together, which won’t be long. He showed a bunch of good things right away.
Kevin Calabro: He’d always be at the ball game way ahead of time warming up. Practices – he was real focused. He and Jeff Green. They just had a great work ethic when they came on board. The highlight was a game-winner that Durant hit in overtime in Atlanta.
That was phenomenal. With Dominique [Wilkins] sitting there and Gerald Wilkins sitting courtside. His son and Dominique’s nephew [Damien Wilkins] were on our ballclub. He had a nice game too that night. But that was the highlight.
Damien Wilkins: We played the Hawks in Atlanta. And I’m from Atlanta so it was my hometown game and I had my career high that night of 41. And I remember Wally Szczerbiak – we had to run a play. I think the score was tied or we were down one or two maybe at the end of the game. There was maybe two seconds left, three seconds left. And we had to run a play to inbound the ball to win the game.
Szczerbiak is taking the ball out at the time and I’m trying to get open to get the ball. He throws it to Kevin Durant and when he shot it, the first thing I said to myself was, “That better go in because I got 41. That better be game!” That was one of my favorite moments not just because it was a great game for me personally but just the confidence in taking that shot and the ease with which he did it.
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