Jazz Coach Will Hardy Gives His Flowers to Rockets' Kevin Durant

The Utah Jazz wrapped up their final matchup of the 2025-26 season against the Houston Rockets on Friday in a night that turned out to be a rough road loss for the Jazz, ending in a 30-plus point blowout in favor of the Rockets that led to Utah's eighth consecutive loss.

However, before that action tipped off against the Rockets, Jazz head coach Will Hardy made sure to give his due credit to the Rockets' star forward Kevin Durant and the longevity that he's shown to still play at a high level in his age-37 season.

Having spent time with Durant coaching for Team USA back in 2020 for the Tokyo Olympics as an assistant, Hardy was able to get an up-close look at the future Hall of Famer and a bit of what his day-to-day work and preparation looked like.

And in that process of working with KD, he was able to really connect the dots of exactly how he's been able to sustain his level of dominance for so long.

"I think Kevin [Durant] truly loves basketball, and loves the whole of it," Hardy said. "He's not a hooper for the lifestyle. He's not just going it for the games."

"I was very fortunate to be around Kevin with Team USA. I don't know if I've ever seen a player go harder in a one-on-zero workout, and anybody that you talk to, that's been consistent throughout his career. He loves the little things. He loves that process of working on his game."

Jazz head coach Will Hardy had high praise for Kevin Durant and his longevity before facing the Rockets:

🗣️"He loves basketball. And from the very small amount of time that I was around him [on Team USA], he shows that in the way that he goes about all of his work." pic.twitter.com/C0YTPYQ9Wj
— Utah Jazz On SI (@JazzOnSI) April 4, 2026

Kevin Durant Still Impressing Will Hardy in Year 18

In reality, it's Durant's pure love and dedication to his daily craft for Hardy that makes what he's doing now possible––something that's rare for any player across NBA history to stack up to, similarly to his otherworldly consistency since entering the league in 2007.

Just within his first season with Houston, Durant put together an average of 25.8 points per game on 51.8% shooting from the field and 40.9% from three, paired with 5.4 rebounds and 4.7 assists a night.

Against the Jazz and Hardy this year in particular, Durant now also led to a 3-1 series win on the season, capped off with a casual 25-point performance on Friday against Utah on 66.7% shooting from the field and 50% from deep.

Apr 3, 2026; Houston, Texas, USA; Houston Rockets forward Kevin Durant (7) warms up prior to the game against the Utah Jazz at Toyota Center. Mandatory Credit: Erik Williams-Imagn Images | Erik Williams-Imagn Images

Nearing two decades in the league, it's his one-of-a-kind skillset, combined with an unparalled work ethic and love for the game itself, that might just keep Durant going at this current rate for the next several years that continues to make him a matchup nightmare on any given night.

"I think his real passion for just playing basketball and love for it is probably what's helped keep the fire lit this long, and all of that love and attention to detail has made him pretty dang good," Hardy continued.

"He loves basketball. And from the very small amount of time that I was around him, he shows that in the way that he goes about all of his work."

Sure, Durant might not be on his way to the Jazz anytime soon, but there's no doubt their head coach certainly remains a fan from afar of what the 16-time All-Star has been able to accomplish.