Kevin Durant’s return to Oklahoma City promises to be an emotionally charged atmosphere. To prepare for that, Durant will be traveling with extra security for him and his family members in attendance, according to ESPN’s Chris Haynes.
Kevin Durant hired extra security for his return to Oklahoma City
Just like LeBron James did before his first game in Cleveland since The Decision.
Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images
The Warriors will travel with three times as many personnel as they normally do on road trips, according to Haynes. A number of them will be specifically assigned to protect Durant’s mother, Wanda Pratt. Pratt will sit next to Durant’s agent, Rich Kleiman.
The Warriors played in Memphis on Friday night, so Durant won’t have much time to explore the city he once lived in for nine years. However, he “won’t be locked in his hotel room,” a source told Haynes. Kleiman will make several community appearances on Durant’s behalf.
LeBron James did the same thing before his return to Miami
In fact, James actually took more precautions. From a 2010 ESPN article:
To ensure James’ safety, there will be dozens of extra police officers on hand, both uniformed and undercover. Officers will be stationed inside and outside the arena, and many will be positioned by the Heat bench and at the tunnel where the Heat players will enter the court.
The Cavaliers also confiscated any sign or apparel that was deemed inappropriate. It’s unclear if Thunder security plans to do the same. Some fans have already made special KowarD T-shirts:
That extra security prevented a serious incident from happening in James’ return, though it was still a charged atmosphere. David Fizdale, the Grizzlies’ current head coach and a Miami assistant in 2010, told Haynes that fans threw batteries on the floor in James’ return:
Fizdale doesn’t expect Oklahoma City to be as “volatile” as Cleveland was that night. We’ll see if that is indeed the case.
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