The real reason Magic Johnson praised Kevin Durant amid trade rumors

TOI Sports Desk / TIMESOFINDIA.COM / May 16, 2025, 04:35 IST

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Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns has been honored with the NBA's Magic Johnson Award for the second time, recognizing his courteous interactions with the media, fans, and personnel. Magic Johnson praised Durant's graciousness and community work. Amidst the Suns' disappointing season, there are reports suggesting Durant may be traded to a contender, potentially seeking his third NBA championship.

The real reason Magic Johnson praised Kevin Durant amid trade rumors

Magic Johnson praised Kevin Durant on X. Source: AP

It was recently announced that Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns was awarded the NBA's 'Magic Johnson Award,' which honors a player who interacts with the media, fans, and off-court personnel in a courteous and respectful manner.The 15-time All-Star and two-time NBA Finals MVP has now received this honour for the second time in his distinguished career, with his first win coming during the 2010-11 season while playing for the Oklahoma City Thunder. Shortly after, Magic Johnson himself, whose name the award bears took to social media to admire Durant on his achievement once again.In his heartfelt message, the former Los Angeles Lakers star and five-time NBA champion expressed his hope that Durant will continue to contribute significantly to the renowned Lakers organization.

Why did Magic Johnson praise Kevin Durant?

"Congratulations to the 2-time Magic Johnson Award winner Kevin Durant," Johnson posted on X Wednesday night. "I’m so excited Kevin Durant won this award because is he always so gracious to the media and fans, I love his game, who he is as a man, and all the great community work that he’s doing in the DMV area with the youth."

"Kevin is an outstanding entrepreneur and a big Commanders fans. I wish he was a Laker! lol" Although Johnson’s final comment is not to be overanalyzed, the idea of Durant possibly joining the Lakers to team up with LeBron James and Luka Dončić is an incredibly intimidating prospect.At 36 years old, Durant recently completed his 17th NBA season with the Suns. The 6-foot-11 forward posted impressive averages of 26.6 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on an extremely efficient 64.2% true shooting percentage over 62 games.Following a disappointing 36-46 record and missing out on the Play-In Tournament as the No. 11 seed in the Western Conference for 2024-25, Durant’s immediate future has become uncertain.Recent reports suggest he will likely be traded from the Suns to a contender this summer, giving him a chance to contend for his third NBA championship by the start of the 2025-26 season.

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TOI Sports Desk

The TOI Sports Desk excels in a myriad of roles that capture the essence of live sporting events and deliver compelling content to readers worldwide. From running live blogs for India and non-India cricket matches to global spectacles featuring Indian talents, like the Chess World Cup final featuring Praggnanandhaa and the Badminton World Championships semifinal featuring HS Prannoy, our live coverage extends to all mega sporting events. We extensively cover events like the Olympics, Asian Games, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, and more. The desk is also adept at writing comprehensive match reports and insightful post-match commentary, complemented by stats-based articles that provide an in-depth analysis of player performances and team dynamics. We track news wires for key stories, conduct exclusive player interviews in both text and video formats, and file content from print editions and reporters. We keep track of all viral stories, trending topics and produce our own copies on the subjects. We deliver accurate, engaging, and up-to-the-minute sports content, round the clock.

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