"He's More Of A Vocal Leader": Ime Udoka Talks About Kevin Durant's Evolution

Earlier this decade, Ime Udoka and Kevin Durant were helping the Brooklyn Nets’ cause. They parted ways for a few years before reuniting this past offseason in Houston.

19-year veterans are typically set in their ways, but as far as Udoka is concerned, Durant has shown remarkable growth in one particular area.

“He has a different role leadership-wise,” the Rockets head coach said prior to his team’s New Year's Day road game against the Nets. “When I was here, it was him, James, Kyrie, and those guys, and he didn’t have to be as much of a leader or as vocal. Now, a lot of times it’s four young guys starting with him; he’s just more of a vocal leader.”

Udoka, who took over as Houston's head coach in 2023, says that Durant's leadership has done wonders for his teammates. "Sharing experiences and the work ethic and the day-to-day professionalism rubs off on the group."

During KD's brief stint in Brooklyn, there was at least one other superstar on the team who helped rally the darlings of Barclays Center. From January 2021 to February 2022, the Nets had a superteam of Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden, as well as veterans like Patty Mills and Blake Griffin. To Udoka's point, Durant had plenty of help back then in terms of leading the locker room.

In contrast, Durant stands out as a grizzled vet in a relatively younger Houston roster. With the exception of old heads like Steven Adams and Jeff Green, KD is clearly the Yoda figure mentoring a feisty squad threatening to contend for the next few years.

Durant, however, is not a seldom-played, spot-up shooter who has slowed down after nearly two decades. In his first season with the Rockets, the 37-year-old leads the team in scoring with 25.5 points per game on a ridiculous 52.2% shooting from the field (and 43.7% from beyond the arc). KD has played 28 out of the Rockets’ first 30 games this season, and he is as active as ever, on and off the hardcourt.

One could even say that he is an excellent extension of the coach on the floor. Udoka, who has coached Durant in two different places, can testify to that.