OAKLAND – Kevin Durant's recent avoidance of media, presumably temporary, is not lost on Warriors coach Steve Kerr.
If anything, Kerr seems to sympathize with the All-Star forward who is keeping his distance from reporters whose job is to relay words and thoughts to the public.
"We all have things that go on in our lives that we just ... sometimes you just want to curl up. And most of us are allowed to do that," Kerr said late Wednesday afternoon, prior to tipoff against the San Antonio Spurs. "But not in the NBA."
The NBA encourages its players to be available to media and, honestly, Durant has been one of the foremost ambassadors during his time as a Warrior. He has consistently been available before and after games, after practices and game-day shootarounds.
But Durant has not allowed interviews in nine days, coinciding with the New York Knicks trading star forward Kristaps Porzingis to clear salary-cap space for what is widely believed to be a hard pursuit of Durant when he becomes a free agent in July.
Though Durant's silence has been linked to those rumors, there is no reason to dismiss the possibility that he is dealing with other issues, personal or professional.
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In any case, nothing has prevented Durant from meeting the primary demands of his employer.
"We're functioning as a team right now," Kerr said. "We're doing our thing. We're playing. He's coming in and competing and working at practice.
"Just give him some space and I'm sure he'll be back talking with you guys. But right now, it's not a great time for you to get any quotes from him."
