Kevin Durant has played for five NBA teams, but one city still holds a special place for him. The Houston Rockets star looked back on his eight seasons in Oklahoma City in a new interview and said he is proud of what the Thunder became.

"I really, really am grateful to be an alumni of the Thunder and to help kick-start this thing off with a lot of my teammates," Durant said. "It's tough to play against as a player, but there's still a little side of me when I play against these guys, I've got a soft spot in my heart for that state."

The timing is fitting. The 5-0 Rockets host the Thunder on Saturday in their first meeting of the season.

Building something new

Durant arrived in Oklahoma City in 2008 at age 19, right after the franchise moved from Seattle. He said the city welcomed the team "with open arms" even though it was young and rebuilding.

He remembers the team practicing at a small college and then in a converted roller rink. He said general manager Sam Presti made sure the players learned about the 1995 Oklahoma City bombing and visited the memorial. "It was powerful," Durant said.

He also described a close-knit group that moved together on the road. "We moved as a unit," he said.

The title he wanted to win

With Russell Westbrook and James Harden, Durant led the Thunder to the 2012 NBA Finals. That young core never got back. Durant left for Golden State in 2016 and won two titles there. Some fans in Oklahoma City still boo him.

The Thunder finally won the championship in 2025. Durant said he wished his group had been the one to do it but felt pride watching Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams finish the job. "I felt that's the evolution of what we did," he said.

"It's one of the most special things that I can say I've been a part of," Durant added. "You don't get to be at the infant stages of a lot of things and to see it blossom to where it is now."

Before Saturday the Rockets visit Dallas on Friday night.