 here at Barkley Center. I am Michael Grady. What a stretch of 18 months it has been for Kevin Durant. His resume really speaks for itself. One of the best players in NBA history. One of the best players to ever lace him up. But it has been a test of patience for him over the course of the last year and a half. And the only sit down interview with Kevin Durant since training camp got underway. I started the interview by asking Kevin how he would assess his play and the practices leading up to the start of the regular season. I feel like, I feel like, you know, I think, I think, you know, I try to, I try to just focus on each, you know, milestone. You know, first it was learning how to walk again and then run and then jump. And so now I was just planning, you know, going through training camp again and planning a real NBA game. So I'm looking forward to that. And, you know, like I said, I'm always gonna think about, you know, progressing and getting better every single day. And I think, you know, coming off the injury, that's the best mindset that I have is taking the day at a time. What do you feel like you gained a greater appreciation for either within the game or outside of the game in the 18 months that you've been away? Well, I always thought I had the respect and the love for the game. I always appreciated what this game has given me and my family. But I missed the carotery the most. Having to figure out things on the floor with your teammates and things that the coaches can't intervene on. You know, I feel like when we come together as a unit out on the floor to problem solve, that makes us better human beings. So I missed that part of everything. And that's why I was looking forward to the most. Kevin, you've already accomplished everything that there is to accomplish within the game. We've been an MVP, two time champion, two time finals MVP. But those close to you still say that you have a curiosity about the game, which I've always felt has been the DNA of great players. How would you describe your curiosity about the game to someone who says you've accomplished everything there is to accomplish? It's all about gaining that experience. And I think, you know, as you continue as I continue to get older in the league, the game is changing and players are coming in differently. So it's about adjusting and adapting. And I think that's the fun part of it all. And, you know, I still feel like I have that kid like approach to the game where I'm just I walk into the gym and I just feel excited to be here and feel excited to go out there and work to get better and and then collab on the game with my teammates, you know, and bring what I bring to the table. And, you know, I feel like we have a young exciting group that approaches it the same way. So I'm looking forward to it. What is it like balancing, perfecting your craft along with your creative and business endeavors? Well, they all tie in to one another. And I feel like I can't do what I do off the floor unless I handle the business on the floor. And I feel like I approached this game with a spiritual mindset of knowing that it's a high power that's controlling everything. You know, and all this is preordained and that we have experience, you know, we have it in ourselves to experience the highest level, everything, you know, so I feel like this team knows that we have greatness in us all individually. And if we just got to bring that together, you know, as simple as that sounds, I think it can happen for us if we knock down and come to work every single day. So I think everybody believes in themselves individually. What will your approach be from a leadership standpoint within the locker room with so much talk on the outside about expectations with this team? Keep, you know, focus on us, you know, as we know the noise from the outside can get loud. And a lot of people are expecting us to do big things. And but we have high expectations for ourselves. We want to be at an elite level every single day as a group, as a unit and practice and shoot arounds and games. And if we focus on that detail every single day, then the Embers are going to take care of itself. 15 first half points for Kevin Durant in his first game in 552 days. Ryan Rucco Saracustac with more half time in Brooklyn. The next leading by 18.