The Phoenix Suns recently received confirmation of their 2025-26 schedule, and it was one that immediately threw up some problems. Once the dust had settled on those issues however - and with the Suns not going to be contenders next season anyway - attention quickly turned to when Kevin Durant will be coming back to Phoenix for the first time.
The date fans will have circled in the calendar is Monday, November 24th when the Houston Rockets come to town the night after the Suns will have played the San Antonio Spurs in the same building. If ever the team are going to be up for the second day of a back-to-back this season however, it will be when Durant takes to the court in a Rockets jersey.
Suns fans likely to give Durant standing ovation.
Yet when that does happen, do not be surprised if most Suns fans applaud Durant for his time in The Valley. Wait, what? That's right, despite not winning a single playoff game in his two full seasons with the franchise - and failing to even make the play-in last season - Durant is going to receive a warm welcome from a massive section of the fans.
That's because for all his faults on social media, the soon to be 37-year-old is one of the best pure hoopers in the history of the league. An offensive magician who blessed The Valley with his scoring abilities for a period of time alongside Devin Booker. People have short memories, but those older fans will have reminded the youngsters that the Suns have typically not been a destination team.
The best fans in the NBA! Join us this season in our house! 🏠@Ticketmaster | https://t.co/K2qj0lgZZz pic.twitter.com/MhTjic6q42
— Phoenix Suns (@Suns) August 15, 2025
They've never won a championship and don't often attract big name free agents, so getting Durant when they did was huge. This is still a small market, and you can't blame the front office for taking a chance on a true superstar. It didn't work out, but that's hardly Durant's fault as he was about 90 percent of the player we know and love.
Instead it is owner Mat Ishbia and the front office who deserve the stick for failing to build on having Durant and Booker together, and the acquisition of Bradley Beal means his own return to Footprint Center is going to be viewed a lot differently. He recently spoke about just wanting a ring now that he is with the L.A. Clippers, but that still appears a long way off.
So while Durant's approval rating amongst fans in Phoenix might not quite be as high as that of Chris Paul's - he helped changed the very fabric of the organization before he left - fans are going to respond well to Durant. All he wanted to do was play basketball and try and win when he was in town. It's not his fault most teams he was a part of couldn't defend, and the depth wasn't there to win.