Kevin Durant says he didn’t work out differently this summer, but it’s evident that his body has gained mass and strength. Durant — who was heavily criticized when entering the NBA for his skinny frame — tells the Oklahoman that he hopes to maintain and build on his new-found strength:
“From his lower body, through his midsection on up to where it’s as clear as ever, his upper body, Durant has bulked up. As with everything else that defines his skills, Durant isn’t overly interested in discussing the matter. That he said as much as he did hints that he has indeed gotten stronger and is darn proud of it. ‘I hope so,’ Durant said when told he looks bigger and asked if he got stronger over the offseason. ‘I guess we’ll know when we start banging during the season. But I feel a little bigger, and coach is going to put me down low a little bit more at the 4 so I’ve got to be stronger to guard those guys. I’m just looking forward to doing as much as I can to help this team.’
Last season, Durant entered training camp at 235 pounds. He deemed it ‘a big thing’ for him to have gained 20 pounds since he entered the league in 2007. This year, his body appears to have filled out even more. But there was nothing special, Durant said, that was done this summer. ‘I guess I’m just getting older, man, because I was working out the same,’ Durant said. ‘I’ve been doing it for the last five summers. I just got to keep going, man. I can’t stop during the season as far as weightlifting is concerned. I just got to stick with it and hopefully I’ll just keep getting stronger.’ Durant has admitted that throughout his career he’s had trouble keeping the weight that he adds over the summer. But now that he’s 24, he’s optimistic that he will now be more capable of maintaining his muscle.”
