Kevin Durant says he can see himself retiring at age 35

Alec Lewis
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant spoke about his legacy and retirement with ESPN’s Chris Haynes. (Getty Images)
Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant spoke about his legacy and retirement with ESPN’s Chris Haynes. (Getty Images)

Kevin Durant spoke to ESPN’s Chris Haynes on Friday, and said he could see himself retiring at age 35.

“This game, your craft, you have to continue studying it,” Durant said. “No matter how much you enjoy it, nobody wants to be in school that long. I know I don’t. At some point, you have to be ready to graduate. Thirty-five, that’s just a number in my mind.”

Both Durant, the back-to-back NBA Finals MVP, and Haynes’ conversation consisted of Durant’s standing among the all-time NBA points leaders (20,913 — good for 41st all-time and 18,000 points behind Kareem Abdul-Jabbar). The two touched on Durant’s place in NBA history as well.

When the topic arose, the 29-year-old Durant said he is fine to walk away on his own terms.

“That’s how I want to leave the game,” Durant said. “And if I happen to have all these accolades and these accomplishments, then that’s cool. If not, I’m still cool.”

Rich Kleiman, Durant’s business partner, told Haynes that Durant had once shared with him his desire to retire at age 35. Kleiman said he’ll “believe it when it happens.”

Durant has a player option this July, an option to choose his own path. Many expect him to re-sign with the Golden State Warriors, especially after his comments to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols last week.

It’s been well-reported that Durant — who signed with the Warriors in the summer of 2016 — has invested in a number of Bay Area startups. Kleiman has often spoken of Durant’s business opportunity in relation to Durant’s career. When asked by Haynes about his standing in history as a basketball superstar, the forward referenced the same.

“I feel like I have options,” Durant said. “I’m young, I’m still learning life and about basketball. I have a whole life ahead of me that I’m excited about, and I thank basketball for opening up so many doors for me.”

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