Highlights from Thunder media day

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Ah, media day, the circular ruse where we think we’re about to hear interesting things that turn out to actually be nothing.

The Thunder held their eighth one on Monday at Chesapeake Energy Arena, and while there was plenty of the normal “we’re excited” platitudes, there were at least a few nuggets of interest that splashed out there. Here are the highlights:

• Billy Donovan on Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant: “Those two guys have a tremendous relationship and I’ve had the chance to witness that up close and in person when they’ve been with each other. I think there’s a great mutual respect and care for one another. I think the one thing I’d do as a coach to try and help is to allow them to be who they are. Russell is a very, very competitive, attacking, aggressive point guard and I think that’s what makes him special, what makes him great. So I don’t think you want to take that away from him and change who he is.”

• Donovan says “very, very” all the time. Question: Should that be transcribed as “very, very” every single time? Can I use shorthand and go just “very”? Or should it be a whole new word of “vuryvury”?

• Kyle Singler’s hair.

• Singler was asked about Sam Presti “raving” about his game. Singler then went full dad joke and said, “I’ve never been to a rave with Sam Presti.” It was weird.

• Westbrook on reintegrating with Durant: “We’ve been playing together for eight years. It’s not rocket science. My job is to find a way to help us win. Kevin, obviously him being on the floor makes it easier for myself, and everybody else on the floor. It’s something we’re used to doing. We’ve been playing with each other a very long time and we know how to get each other going, we know how to find our rhythm.”

• Durant: “I feel great. I’m ready to go. I did everything necessary in order for me to be back on the court. It’s an exciting time for Thunder basketball and myself.”

• Durant on worrying about re-injuring his foot: “You never want to live in fear. I love the game so much, but if anything were to happen again, I’d just have to live with it. I think if I’d have went out there and with doubt in my mind, something would’ve happened. I was always taught if I’m on the court, I’m all right.”

• Durant was asked if there a moment over the summer where he realized he was back: “”I never thought I left.”

• Westbrook was asked about individual goals for the season. He said he has one: Win a championship.

• Serge Ibaka said he feels great. On the supposed improvement he’s made, “Like always, trying to work differently than the last five years. I try to do little things. I’ve been spending most of my time working on my fundamentals, passing the ball, all those things.”

• Nick Collison: “I’ve been here for two or three weeks and there seems to be a much different energy for the start of the season.”

• Durant is apparently a fan of “Narcos.”

• Anthony Morrow, Andre Roberson and Dion Waiters were all asked about starting. They all stuck to the company line of “what’s coach decides and what’s best for the team.”

• Morrow on Donovan: “Offensively, he’s what I’d call an offensive genius.” Uh oh. I can feel that coming back around. 

• Morrow said he spent this summer working on injury prevention, as well as getting his release even quicker. I guess the means just letting the ball hit his forehead off a pass and ricocheting into the basket.

• Durant on Westbrook’s wedding: “We’ve all seen him grow up together and I think it’ll really be a shock once they start having kids. It was great to see them both happy and we all consider them family, so just to see everybody there in support was amazing.”

• Enes Kanter was asked about playing Fenerbahce in preseason and how special it might be to play against the team he got his start with: “That team was the team that made me ineligible [at Kentucky]. They sent bank statement to the NCAA that showed that I was a pro and couldn’t play college basketball.” Awk-kward.

• Kanter said the three days waiting on OKC to match Portland’s offer sheet was stressful, and he wanted to stay with the Thunder.

• Shocker: Kanter said he spent the offseason working on his defense.

• Steve Novak said Billy Donovan recruited him at Florida, and said he offered his little sister a candy bar: “We had to pay a quarter so not to break NCAA rules.” Novak said he chose Marquette because it was close to home, but visited Florida twice because Donovan made that much of an impression.

• Novak on Kanter: “When he plays well offensively, he plays better defensively.”

• Dion Waiters says he didn’t end up training with Kobe in the offseason.

• On getting No. 3 back: “I had to. I didn’t feel right wearing No. 23. I didn’t feel right.”

• Waiters on Presti’s comment about slight adjustments: “I already knew. I already knew what I needed to work on. I’ve been working on it.”

• Steven Adams showed up with a scruffy beard and long hair. “I’m just letting myself go,” he said. Adams also had his right arm filled out with more tattoos. Said it’s part of his New Zealand heritage.

• Adams said his offseason focus was simple: free throws.

• I have to say, today’s media day did not have the vibe I anticipated. I expect more of a circus-ish feel, with a lot more attention on Durant. He only got one question about free agency, and it wasn’t even direct, and it came more than three minutes in. It was a vuryvury relaxed atmosphere.