Kevin Durant has been through a lot during his historic NBA career, but his first year with the Houston Rockets may present him with his biggest challenge yet.
Speaking on ESPN, Marc Spears talked about leadership and how desperate the Rockets will be for it in 2025-26, especially now that Fred VanVleet is out of the picture.
“I think with Fred VanVleet being out, this is going to have to be the biggest leadership situation in Kevin [Durant’s] career,” Spears said.
"I think with Fred VanVleet being out, this is going to have to be the biggest leadership situation in Kevin [Durant's] career." 👀@MarcJSpears on Kevin Durant after signing a two-year extension with the Rockets pic.twitter.com/kGWkt0Qrki
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) October 20, 2025
The Rockets were setting up for their best season in decades.
The addition of Durant was huge, but the team was already trending in the right direction.
But VanVleet’s injury robbed them of their most reliable ball handler and leader.
During his years in the league, critics have said Durant doesn’t do enough to guide his team.
They feel that he’s a great offensive threat but he has always had someone else – such as Kyrie Irving or Steph Curry – to lead.
That won’t be the case in Houston, at least not for this first season.
Durant will need to shoot well, inspire his teammates, and motivate his Rockets in ways that he hasn’t before.
He just signed an extension with Houston, which means he has faith in what they are capable of and doesn’t plan to give up after a single season.
This could be the last stop of Durant’s career, and he wants to make it count.
If he’s able to show that he has more leadership qualities than expected, Durant could add to his legacy and place in league history.
NEXT: Ime Udoka Takes Pride In Teams Emulating Rockets Style