The Thunder Gave Kevin Durant’s Number to an Undrafted Rookie
Oh boy, it’s the first day of the NBA season and we’ve already got some drama brewing.
Kevin Durant, you may remember, spent some time with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he wore the number 35. He’s not there any more, but there will be a No. 35 on the court for OKC this season.
P.J. Dozier, an undrafted rookie who wore No. 15 at South Carolina, wore 35 in the preseason with the Mavs. The Mavs cut him and he signed a two-way deal with the Thunder. The Thunder gave him... you guessed it, No. 35.
This did not go over well with Durant’s agent, Rich Kleiman.
It’s tough to see this as anything but a slight to Durant. The Thunder have no obligation to accommodate a guy who will likely spend most of the season bouncing between the G-League and the big club, even if Kyle Singler already claimed his college number. (Dozier says No. 35 is a tribute to his second cousin, former Celtic Reggie Lewis.) After all, they waited until Paul George’s arrival to give away James Harden’s old number.
