GLENDALE – The second season of the Netflix documentary “Starting 5” has been released, with one of NBA players followed being former Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant. The 15-time All-Star had a hectic season with the franchise last season, that had him constantly in the headlines. With the lack of flexibility, Phoenix was forced to look for trade offers for Durant, which the Netflix doc was able to show his raw, emotional reaction to the news.
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Mar 16, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Kevin Durant (35) leaves the court after the game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
Durant’s full reaction on Starting 5:
The 37-year-old made it clear in his rant that he didn’t want to be traded, especially back to his old team the Golden State Warriors. Durant was airing out his frustration in an expletive-heavy, but logical reasoning on not wanting to leave the Suns. If traded, the future Hall of Famer would take all his new teams valuable assets leaving him starting from ground zero this late in his career.
Phoenix front office filled with then general manager James Jones and owner Mat Ishbia ruined an already failing relationship with its superstar player by not keeping him in the loop. The lack of communication clearly frustrated Durant and dug the franchise into a deeper hole.
Sep 29, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) talks to media during Houston Rockets media day at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-Imagn Images
While infuriated in the moment, Durant would soon realize the opportunity in front of him to decide where to spend the twilight of his career. The Houston Rockets were the clear choice, as they had their eyes on the Suns forward for over the past calendar year. Luckily for Houston, Durant shared the same interest.
“Once the Suns decided they wanted to trade me, they asked me what teams I’d be willing to go to and I gave them a few. That was an expiring contract,” Durant said. “I had more leverage, and I was able to use it and get to Houston. In the perfect world, we win a couple of championships. I get my jersey retired here.”
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Reporter Tanner Tortorella covers general assignment for Burn City Sports. You can follow him on his X account, @TannerTSports
