Robb: Kevin Durant 'Really Impressed' By Celtics In Free Agency
BOSTON (CBS) -- The Celtics were one of six finalists in the Kevin Durant free agent derby this past summer before the former MVP decided to sign with the Golden State Warriors.
While it remains unknown just how close Boston came to landing the former Thunder star, Durant continued to express his admiration for the organization in his first visit to TD Garden since spurning the Green.
"I got much respect for everybody on their team," Durant told reporters on Friday. "I know AB (Avery Bradley), I know Isaiah (Thomas). Marcus Smart and Jae Crowder came and we had a nice talk. They're very impressive, the city of Boston is one of the best cities in the league and I really respect how they approach the game."
Boston sent a sizable contingent of owners, management, players and a special guest in Tom Brady to try to woo Durant and his reps in the Hamptons back in early July. While the 6-foot-9 forward would not address just how how much serious consideration he gave to becoming a Celtic at today's shootaround, he acknowledged the impact the star-studded pitch had on him.
"It was pretty good," Durant said of the pitch. "I mean, I'm going to go into depth about everything they said, but it was pretty good. I was really impressed by them. Hard for me to say how close each team was. I'm not even going to go into that. But they were very impressive."
Things remain cordial between Durant and the C's in the wake of the decision, as Isaiah Thomas explained after Wednesday's night win over the Mavericks.
"Nah, I've been past that," Thomas said of any remaining ill will about the decision. "I was just surprised. Probably like everybody else. I wasn't mad. I knew we had a chance -- we had a pretty good chance, at that. I was just surprised he chose the Warriors, but that's that man's decision."
While there is plenty of mutual respect between the players, the 28-year-old knows he will likely face a less forgiving Garden crowd for the first time as a member of the Warriors.
"We're just going to try to lock in and focus on our team and our game," Durant said of the reaction. "The fans are going to be the fans. They're going to enjoy the game, as the game goes along, they're going to boo, they're going to cheer."
