Suns' Mike Budenholzer reflects on Kevin Durant making 15th All-Star Game

01/26/2025 12:58 PM

PHOENIX — Throughout the 2024-25 Phoenix Suns season, head coach Mike Budenholzer continues to be amazed by Kevin Durant. Although the latter has won his fair share of championships, MVPs, and Finals MVPs, he remains committed to the game of basketball. Most recently, Durant was named a starter in the 2025 NBA All-Star Game.

Once again, Budenholzer was left starstruck by Durant’s accomplishment. Before Saturday’s game against the Washington Wizards, the Suns head coach elaborated on how valuable the star forward is to his team.

"There’s so many words that you could use to describe Kevin (Durant) and how unique he is,” Budenholzer said. “I think he just loves the game of basketball and he loves to hoop. I think you see that come out with his work ethic, his attention to detail, his longevity, just everything that makes him special. He truly loves the game, and he’s given it a lot."

Budenholzer isn’t joking around about the star forward giving everything he has. Durant is averaging 27.2 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He leads the team in points per game and is second in minutes per game. For the 36-year-old Durant, that’s an impressive mark.

However, it’s not only the statistics that pop out, but also his leadership. While media personalities have questioned his leadership, his teammates and coaches have backed him up. For instance, Suns players backed up Durant’s leadership, despite criticism from Stephen A. Smith.

Durant’s combined skill and leadership could make him the lone member of the Suns to represent them at the All-Star Game. While Devin Booker has been an All-Star four of the last five seasons, he’s having a bit of a down campaign and the competition for Western Conference reserves is stiff.

Kevin Durant is grateful for the All-Star Game selection

Even with the nomination to be a starter once again, there’s a level of gratitude Durant expressed after Saturday’s win. Since the 2009-10 season, he has only missed one All-Star Game appearance, which was the 2019-20 season. That reason? He was coming off an Achilles tear he suffered in the 2019 NBA Finals.

Besides that, the Suns forward has made the game every season since. While some could be accustomed to the nomination, Durant remained grateful for the selection.

“It means a lot to be in that company and some guys that are in that group of people that change the world, to be honest,” Durant said postgame. “Just from how they played the game, how they approached the game, their attitude, their personality, their stories, their journey inspired the world. And I'm just grateful to be a part of that.

“It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, but it's a lot of people who sacrificed their time to help me out to become the player that I am today. When I do stuff like that, I always reflect and just be grateful for the people who stood in there with me and got me better as well. I can't wait to be out there in The Bay in a place that I'm familiar with as well. I'm looking forward to that."

Kevin Durant has a suggestion for the All-Star Game

Although these comments were from December, it’s important to look at them for what they are. There has been a formatting change, where it’s a tournament-style game. The four teams will play two semifinal games, with the winners moving on to the championship. Each winning side will need to score 40 or more points to advance.

However, he didn’t seem too pleased with the model. During a practice availability, Durant ripped the new All-Star Game format, calling it “terrible” and wanting to revert to the original way. However, a couple of days later, he retraced his steps and walked back on his comments.

Change isn’t the easiest for some, especially with a traditional NBA All-Star Game. Still, there could be some interesting moves at the 74th annual game. Who knows? Durant could truly enjoy the new format going forward. Either way, his 15th selection is one that left many people in awe, including Budenholzer.

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