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NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND 2019

February 17, 2019

Kevin Durant

Charlotte, North Carolina

Team LeBron - 178, Team Giannis - 16

Q. Where does winning this MVP rank amongst some of the other hardware that you've won in your career?
KEVIN DURANT: It's all sweet to me. I mean, it's hard to rank. Everything's special. But it's cool to be out there with some of the best players to ever play the game, and to win an MVP here in front of my family and friends is pretty sweet. I just keep trying to rack them up, I guess.

Q. What do you think about the up-and-coming talent in the NBA?
KEVIN DURANT: I think the NBA is in great hands. So many young players who made it to this point so early in their careers, and that's pretty rare. You've got Ben Simmons in his second year. You've got guys like DeAngelo Russell and Karl-Anthony Towns and guys like that still in their early 20s. The league is in great hands. It's a joy to know these guys on another level, and also to play against them.

Q. Being at a different point in your career, in your life, how does this award compare to when you won it in 2012 for you?
KEVIN DURANT: Obviously, the first time is always sweet, sweeter, I guess. I didn't come into any of these games expecting to do anything. It just kind of happened. So the first time was cool. In 2012, I started to feel like I started to hit that elite level. All that stuff in one year was pretty exciting to me.

As a veteran now coming back, winning another MVP is cool to put into the trophy case.

Q. As a kid watching the All-Star, what was your all-time favorite moment?
KEVIN DURANT: The game in 2001 in D.C., I can remember my mom and my brother, we were riding in the car listening to it on the radio when Stephon Marbury and AI came back from 20 points down and won the game. I can remember that whole weekend, so much excitement around D.C.

Q. K.D., what did it mean to you to see Dirk and Dwyane do what they were doing tonight and get those jerseys?
KEVIN DURANT: Those guys look good to be in the league for so long and still playing at a high level. D-Wade, I was telling a couple of guys, I feel like he could play a few more years. And Dirk to play 20 years in the NBA is just ridiculous.

For them to be honored tonight, it was cool to be a part of.

Q. K.D., you guys kind of through the first three quarters, it's up and down the court a lot, but how important was it for you to really finish strong and win this game?
KEVIN DURANT: We definitely talked about it before the game and at halftime, we gave up, I guess, 88 points maybe, and Coach Malone said the record is 194, and we don't want to get that put on us. So I think guys just buckled down and wanted to win after a while.

Q. Which one of your teammates you felt like you had instant chemistry with on the court that you enjoyed playing with?
KEVIN DURANT: Every one of them. I think every one of these guys, you can relate to them on a different level. A lot of these guys come from the same background and same circumstances, so you relate to them on a different level. All our skills match with each other. So you've got guys that can play four positions out there. So you don't mind sitting in the corner waiting for the ball to come to you for a three.

So you don't really have to do too much when you're playing with so many great players. You can do what you're just best at.

Q. What did you think of Giannis' effort tonight? And wonder if you can speak to his future in the league, being such a young player.
KEVIN DURANT: He's got potential through the roof. He's still producing at an elite level, and it's scary to see how far he can keep going. His game is rounding into shape. He's still getting better, but he's leading top five, top three MVP candidates right now at 20. How old is he, 23? To be that young and already at the top of the class as one of the elites in the game, it's a joy to watch his progression.

Q. There was a play where Klay hit a corner three and then kind of looked at Steph, and then Steph got him back with the and-one three. Being their teammates, what was your reaction to that?
KEVIN DURANT: It was so fun to see. Those guys are always joking around and seeing who can make the most shots. Their chemistry together is second to none. So we know we're going to be talking about that play, those two plays for the next couple of days.

It was good to see Steph knock that shot down over Klay, because Klay is always talking trash to him. Those guys had a lot of fun tonight, and I'm looking forward to having even more fun the second half of the season.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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