"This was Kevin Durant's idea" - NBA fans erupt as Rockets coach Ime Udoka's vows to 'ruin' OKC Thunder's season opener with ring ceremony snub

NBA fans reacted to Kevin Durant and the Houston Rockets' decision to be absent from the ring ceremony before the Rockets vs the OKC Thunder game. According to the Rockets coach, Ime Udoka, the idea behind the decision was to motivate his players before they faced the defending champions.

"We'll take our guys back while they're doing their celebrating. Get us some motivation for our own self, and try to ruin their night," Udoka said.

Reacting to the post, a fan slammed the Rockets' coach for disrespecting the defending champions.

Explore the NBA Draft 2024 with our free NBA Mock Draft Simulator & be the GM of your favorite NBA team.

"Doing too much, respect the champions they didn’t cheat to win or something wtf lol."

A fan claimed that Kevin Durant must have suggested the idea.

"This was @KDTrey5 idea." "100% KD’s request lmao."

However, a fan said that even if Durant didn't see it live, he would need to watch to motivate himself.

"You really think KD is going to sit back in the locker room and not go watch that shit to fire himself up 😂😂."

A fan took a shot at Udoka and threw shade at the Rockets for the championship drought for years.

"OKC are the champs. You aren’t ruining a damn thing little bro😂. You might want to watch the ceremony though…it’s been 30 years since you’re org has seen a championship ring."

One of the fans was confused about the motivation behind the idea to skip the ceremony.

"how is taking them off the floor for it adding motivation? wouldn’t that just be avoiding the motivation lmfao?" "Perfect, let them ni**** know coach, right out the gate boy boy we coming for their necks."

Kevin Durant's contract extension with Rockets points to his championship quest

Kevin Durant recently signed a 2-year, $90 million contract extension with the Houston Rockets. According to ESPN, the NBA superstar was eligible for a 2-year, $120 million extension, but chose to sacrifice $30 million to help the team build an elite roster.

Durant's intention behind sacrificing millions should be apparent in his decision to sign with the Rockets. He wanted to win championships in Houston, and without sacrificing his well-deserved salary, it would have been a hard job for the Rockets' front office.

After the new extension, Kevin Durant has three years left in his contract with the Rockets. This year, he will pocket $54.7 million, which he will earn from the last year of his previous contract. Last season, KD averaged 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.2 assists in 62 games.

Edited by Nandjee Ranjan