Sports
Kevin Durant and the 15 pregame minutes that’ve helped shape his game and career
PHOENIX — Almost like clockwork, Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant appears 90 minutes before each home game, walking onto the court, ready to get started. The road to 30,000 career points? It didn’t begin here, but the routine played a significant role.
Pregame shooting routines unfold every night across the NBA. Charlotte Hornets coach Charles Lee says they are like a “mental sanctuary” where players visualize and replicate what they’re about to face. Memphis Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins calls them confidence-boosting opportunities, a final primer before tipoff.
Golden State’s Stephen Curry is perhaps best known for his pregame shooting routine, but Durant’s is just as legendary.
“Did you say it was legendary?” he said one day after practice.
OK, well-known.
“Yeah, because I’ve been around for a while.”
Not true. Watching Durant work before a game is like watching Tiger Woods in his prime on the driving range. A peek behind the curtain when the curtain is left open. A glimpse of the process that leads to greatness.
Coaches constantly remind young players to work at game speed. Do what you’re going to do in a game. This is what Durant does. Every single rep. “If you go watch one of KD’s pregame workouts, like his 15 minutes on the court pregame, he’s in a full sweat,” former Suns assistant Miles Simon said. “It’s like he’s started the game already.”
Kevin Durant warms up with Suns assistant David Fizdale before an October game against the LA Clippers. “A dress rehearsal,” Fizdale calls it. (Adam Pantozzi / NBAE via Getty Images)
Players approach this in different ways. Phoenix teammate Devin Booker says his pregame session is more about mindset than shooting.
“It’s hard to emulate the game, so the more you can zone out and imagine yourself in game-like situations, the better,” he said.
Suns point guard Tyus Jones wants to see the ball go through the net. Others take a looser approach.
Before he was traded to Milwaukee, former Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma did his normal shooting, but he also spent a few minutes chucking half-court shots, trying to see if he could get the ball to bounce off the hardwood and through the basket (he never did).
Durant has tweaked his routine over the years, but the foundation never changes. It’s about fundamentals.
“Balance, follow through, get my legs up under me. But also try to get a sweat in,” said Durant, who recently became the eighth NBA player in history to reach 30,000 career points. “I think that’s the main thing. Not to go through the motions, so my first hard move is when the game starts. I want to push off and see how my body feels before the game.”
Denver Nuggets coach Michael Malone cannot lie: “I have no idea what our guys do pregame,” he said.
He’s not about to tell Russell Westbrook, who’s in his 17th season, what he needs to do to get ready. Westbrook knows. But for a player like second-year guard Julian Strawther, yes, Malone said, the staff will tailor a routine to help get him ready.
Pregame shooting has come a long way.
Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle recalled during his first season with the Boston Celtics that he warmed up by playing one-on-one against teammate M.L. Carr.
“Back in those days, both teams were shooting at both baskets,” Carlisle said, “and we’re weaving in and out of guys on the other team, on both ends.”
Former NBA assistant Tim Grgurich is credited for changing all this. While on George Karl’s staff with the Seattle SuperSonics in the early 1990s, Grgurich turned free-shooting pregame sessions into developmental work. At first, teams split players into guards and bigs, but as staff sizes grew, they began assigning assistants to work out players individually. The time was too valuable to waste, especially with so many younger players entering the league.
“In college, you have time to prepare,” former NBA and college coach Randy Ayers said. “Once you get into conference play, you’re only playing two games a week. In the pros, you can play five games in seven days. The individual instruction is awfully important because you have to put some rest in there for these guys with the schedule that you have.”
In Phoenix, the team’s vets decide the order in which players work (players mostly work two at a time, and not surprisingly, the rookies go first. Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro take the court before fans are even allowed inside the arena). Routine specifics are usually discussed before the season and adjusted as the season unfolds. Sometimes, they have to be worked out on the fly.
Before a recent game, Phoenix assistant coach Brent Barry worked with guard Vasilije Micić, who had just come to Phoenix in a deadline trade with the Hornets.
“Three makes from the corner,” Barry instructed on the court at Footprint Center. He fired chest passes to Micić, hitting the guard right in the shooting pocket. Swish, swish, miss, swish.
“Now, Vasa,” Barry said. “From the crease, shuffle down. Three makes.”
Some players wear headphones or earbuds. Booker does (he walks around the locker room with them on, too, singing as he prepares to come out for his pregame session). Teammates Bradley Beal and Royce O’Neale do as well.
During a recent trip to Phoenix, Charlotte guard LaMelo Ball wore headphones while stretching but removed them once he started shooting.
Durant has worn headphones in the past. He doesn’t anymore.
“I don’t know,” he said. “I guess I just kind of like to feel the arena a little bit. Get immersed in the atmosphere.”
Rex Chapman was the opposite. He played in Phoenix from 1996-2000, back when the organization had a practice court in the arena complex. Instead of working out pregame on the main court, Chapman hit the practice court and worked in private. His reasoning: too many distractions.
“Going out on the court, I knew there were going to be some people out there wanting to take pictures and autographs and whatnot, and I didn’t want to appear like an a–hole,” Chapman said. “I was getting ready for my job.”
Durant starts on the left baseline with short jumpers. Seven in a row. He steps back for corner 3s. He moves into the post. Bursts into the lane. Turns and fades.
Durant works with assistant coach David Fizdale, who also has coached LeBron James, Ray Allen and Dwyane Wade throughout his career.
“I try to basically set up a little dress rehearsal for what he’s going to face in the game as to how teams are going to guard him, based on his sweet spots, things that we run for him,” Fizdale said of Durant. “A dress rehearsal in a short amount of time. And to Kevin’s credit, the amount of energy he puts into his pregame is unique from a standpoint of his effort.”
This is a benefit — the relationship a player and assistant build. Phoenix guard Grayson Allen works with Chaisson Allen, an assistant he got to know during Grayson’s days with the Milwaukee Bucks.
In his 10 years, Booker has gone through several developmental coaches. Asked about the process of getting paired with an assistant, he says, “You just vibe it up.”
Durant credits Wizards head coach Brian Keefe for showing him how to work. They were together for Durant’s first seven NBA seasons, starting in Seattle and continuing in Oklahoma City. Before a recent game in Phoenix, Keefe downplayed his role, saying he learned more from Durant than Durant learned from him.
But he said it’s not an accident that players like Durant, Curry and James have ascended to this level.
Kevin Durant credits now-Wizards head coach Brian Keefe for helping develop his routine back when the two were with the SuperSonics/Thunder franchise. (Scott Taetsch / Getty Images)
“It’s a singular focus, it’s a dedication to the craft, a love of the game, but it’s (also) that consistency every day, I really believe, watching those guys through the years, that leads to who they are,” Keefe said. “Players don’t get enough credit. An 82-game schedule, pressure to play, pressure to perform, and the ones who do this are the ones who put the work in.”
From the lane, Durant moves to the left wing and fires midrange jumpers. He shifts back to the 3-point arc. The first three are catch and shoot. Then Durant shoots off the dribble. He pops out from the corner. Durant moves to the elbow. Then, near the key, where Fizdale instructs him to fake a pass to the corner and make a move to the basket.
Everything Durant does on the left side, he repeats on the right. On this night, it adds up to 120 shots from 18 spots. He steps to the foul line and shoots eight free throws, making six.
During a two-game stretch in late November, Durant made 11 of 16 from the foul line. At his next pregame workout, Durant, an 88 percent foul shooter, was determined to make 10 in a row to get back in rhythm. He swished nine straight. The 10th rimmed out. Durant turned in frustration. He lifted his black T-shirt, wiped his face and returned to the line. He made four and missed the fifth. Not good enough. On the third try, he made 10 in a row.
Durant finishes each session with a dunk. He slaps five with the assistants and managers and retreats to the locker room, ready for whatever the night brings. Fizdale says pregame development time is vital for young players, but it also can help veterans. Look at Durant, he said before a recent game.
“At 36 years old, he’s still getting better, as crazy as that sounds.”
(Top photo of Kevin Durant: Thearon W. Henderson / Getty Images; Video: Doug Haller / The Athletic)
Sports
US figure skating power couple makes history with record breaking seventh national championship
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
U.S. figure skating stars Madison Chock and Evan Bates made history on Saturday with their record-setting seventh U.S. Figure Skating title in their final competition before the Milan Cortina Olympics.
The three-time reigning world champions, performing a flamenco-style dance to a version of the Rolling Stones hit “Paint It Black” from the dystopian sci-fi Western show “Westworld,” produced a season-best free skate and finished with 228.87 points.
“The feeling that we got from the audience today was unlike anything I’ve ever felt before,” Chock said.
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of United States perform during ISU World Figure Skating Championships – Boston, at TD Garden, on March 28, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Jurij Kodrun – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
They’ll be the heavy favorites to win gold next month in Italy.
“I felt so much love and joy,” Chock continued, “and I’m so grateful for this moment.”
U.S. Figure Skating will announce its selections on Sunday.
Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik were second with 213.65 points and Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko were third with 206.95, making those two pairs the likely choices to join Chock and Bates on the American squad for the upcoming Winter Games.
The men’s medals also were to be decided on Saturday, though two-time world champion Ilia Malinin had built such a lead after his short program that the self-styled “Quad God” would have to stumble mightily to miss out on a fourth consecutive title.
The U.S. also has qualified the maximum of three men’s spots for the Winter Games, and competition is tight between second-place Tomoko Hiwatashi, fan favorite Jason Brown, Andrew Torgashev and Maxim Naumov to round out the nationals podium.
The last time Chock and Bates competed in the Olympics in 2022 in Beijing, they watched their gold initially go to an opponent who was later disqualified for doping violations.
Chock and Bates initially had to settle for team silver with their American teammates on the podium at the 2022 Beijing Olympics. Team Russia and Kamila Valieva, who was 15 at the time, stood above them with their gold medals.
It wasn’t until the end of January 2024, when the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) found Valieva guilty of an anti-doping rule violation, when Chock, Bates and the U.S. were declared the rightful 2022 gold medalists.
UN URGES COUNTRIES TO HONOR TRUCE DURING WINTER OLYMPICS, NOT DENY VISAS TO ANY NATION’S ATHLETES
Madison Chock and Evan Bates compete in championship ice dance at the U.S. figure skating championships Saturday, Jan. 27, 2024, in Columbus, Ohio. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki)
Valieva tested positive for trimetazidine, a banned substance, during an anti-doping test at the Russian Figure Skating Championships in December 2021. She was suspended for four years and stripped of all competitive results since that date.
Chock and Bates spoke about what their message to Valieva would be today during an interview at the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee media summit in October.
“It’s hard to, I think, imagine what a 15-year-old has gone through and under that kind of situation,” Bates said. “And I know how stressful it is, being an elite athlete as an adult, as a 36-year-old. And I think that grace should be given to humans across the board. And we can never really know the full situation, at least from our point of view. … I genuinely don’t know what I would say to her.”
Chock added, “I would just wish her well like as I would. I think life is short. And, at the end of the day, we’re all human just going through our own human experience together. And regardless of what someone has or hasn’t done and how it has affected you, I think it’s important to remember we’re humans as a collective, and we’re all here for this, our one moment on earth, at the same time. And I just wish people to have healthy, happy lives, full of people that love them.”
Chock and Bates had to wait more than two years after the initial Olympics to get their rightful gold medals, and they were finally presented with them during a ceremony at the Paris Olympics last summer.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the USA perform in the Gala Exhibition during the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final Nagoya at IG Arena on December 07, 2025 in Nagoya, Japan. (Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
Chock, Bates and teammates Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Zachary Donohue, Brandon Frazier, Madison Hubbell, Alexa Knierim and Vincent Zhou were given a specialized gold medal ceremony to receive the medals in front of more than 13,000 fans.
Chock and Bates became the first ice dancers to win three consecutive world championships in nearly three decades in March when they defeated Canadian rivals Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Dave Roberts tossed T-shirts to fans. The students were back out in bunches. UCLA traded in its recent first-half troubles for a big lead.
It was sort of fun to be a Bruin again Saturday at Pauley Pavilion.
On an evening the team honored Roberts, the Dodgers manager and former Bruins outfielder who triumphantly hoisted the World Series trophy over his head during a timeout as fans roared, it was possible to forget about UCLA’s troubles for a few hours.
The Bruins’ 67-55 victory over Maryland was a needed reprieve for a team aching over its defense, not to mention a two-game losing streak that was comfortably snapped despite the Terrapins grabbing one offensive rebound after another.
Maryland (7-9, 0-5) finished with an absurd 20 offensive rebounds, leading to 24 second-chance points, and it still wasn’t enough to make the final minutes a worry for UCLA (11-5, 3-2) after a 6-0 push put the game away.
Forward Eric Dailey Jr. ensured that things didn’t go awry for the Bruins, nearly logging a double-double with 15 points and nine rebounds. Trent Perry (16 points, six rebounds) hit a clutch corner three-pointer with a little less than six minutes left after Maryland had closed to within five points.
Maryland’s inability to make baskets — the Terrapins shot 30.3% overall and 18.2% from three-point range — was forced in part by some active defense, notably from UCLA’s Steven Jamerson II. The backup center had perhaps his best across-the-board showing as a Bruin, finishing with eight points, five rebounds, three assists, two blocks and one steal in 22 minutes.
UCLA guard Trent Perry, left, collides with Maryland guard Andre Mills while battling for a defensive rebound in the first half Saturday.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
His top highlight came on an offensive rebound he snagged while falling out of bounds and saved by flinging a pass to Perry for a three-pointer. UCLA would have won with even greater ease had it not made just 18 of 27 free throws (67%).
There were moments it was easy to forget the Bruins were playing without guard Skyy Clark (hamstring) and forward Brandon Williams (lower-leg injury). Both players are considered day to day, meaning they could return soon.
Maryland could relate to being shorthanded. The Terrapins were missing star center Pharrel Payne, who remained sidelined because of a knee injury. Forward Elijah Saunders led Maryland with 17 points.
It wasn’t nearly enough given the Bruins looked a bit more like the team they need to be.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!
The Atlanta Falcons have added one of the team’s greatest players to its front office.
The Falcons announced on Saturday that former quarterback Matt Ryan, who spent the first 14 years of his 15-year NFL career with the team after being drafted third overall in 2008, will be president of football on Saturday. The 40-year-old Ryan, who holds team records for passing yards, touchdowns and wins, will assume the new role immediately.
Ryan will report directly to owner Arthur Blank and collaborate with president and CEO Greg Beadles to ensure the alignment of the business and football areas of the organization.
Former Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) on the sideline before he is inducted into the team’s Ring of Honor at halftime of a game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, Georgia, on Oct. 3, 2024. (Brett Davis/Imagn Images)
“Throughout his remarkable 14-year career in Atlanta, Matt’s leadership, attention to detail, knowledge of the game and unrelenting drive to win made him the most successful player in our franchise’s history,” Blank said in a statement.
“I am confident those same qualities will be a tremendous benefit to our organization as he steps into this new role. From his playing days to his time as an analyst at CBS, Matt has always been a student of the game, and he brings an astute understanding of today’s NFL, as well as unique knowledge of our organization and this market. I have full confidence and trust in Matt as we strive to deliver a championship caliber team for Atlanta and Falcons fans everywhere.”
The Falcons fired head coach Raheem Morris on Sunday after back-to-back 8-9 seasons. The Falcons had won their last four games, leading some to believe Morris might be afforded a third season, but Blank had other plans.
AARON RODGERS TAKES THINLY-VEILED SHOT AT JETS AHEAD OF STEELERS’ PLAYOFF GAME
CBS Sports broadcaster Matt Ryan before a game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Denver Broncos at Empower Field at Mile High in Denver, Colorado, on Nov. 16, 2025. (Ron Chenoy/Imagn Images)
The Falcons also fired general manager Terry Fontenot after five seasons on Sunday. Ryan will be fully involved in the team’s search for the Falcons’ next head coach and general manager.
“Arthur gave me the chance of a lifetime almost twenty years ago, and he’s done it again today,” Ryan said in a statement.
“While I appreciate the time I had with the Colts and with CBS, I’ve always been a Falcon. It feels great to be home. I could not be more excited, grateful, or humbled by this new opportunity. I began my career with a singular goal: to do right by the Blank family, the Falcons organization, the City of Atlanta, and especially our fans. My commitment to the success of this franchise has not changed. I’m beyond ready to help write a new chapter of excellence.”
Ryan has spent the last three seasons as a member of the CBS Sports team as an analyst.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP
Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan (2) passes the ball against the Buffalo Bills during the second half at Highmark Stadium in Orchard Park, New York, on Jan. 2, 2022. (Rich Barnes/USA TODAY Sports)
“I want to thank the incredible team at CBS Sports. I loved my three years there and I am truly grateful for their support in pursuing this opportunity. The CBS Sports culture is amazing, and I have made teammates and friends for life,” Ryan said in a statement.
Ryan, who was drafted out of Boston College, played with the Falcons for 14 seasons and holds many franchise records, including passing yards (59,735), attempts (8,003), completions (5,242), passing touchdowns (367), passer rating (94.6), completion percentage (65.5) and 300-yard games (73).
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Arizona State Adds Mid-Season Game Changer: Euro Juniors Champion Albane Cachot
No. 20 Lady Vols Basketball vs. Arkansas: How to Watch, Prediction, More | Rocky Top Insider
Why California is keeping this unusual solar plant running when both Trump and Biden wanted it closed
Bennett Zmolek’s first goal in four years sparks UND past Colorado College
Chock, Bates win record-setting seventh U.S. Figure Skating title ahead of Milan
Florida High School Football Rankings: Top 25 teams – Oct. 21
Cleary's 21 help Le Moyne down Central Connecticut State 69-64 in OT
How old is Bo Nix? What to know about Oregon quarterback ahead of 2024 NFL Draft
99th annual Pony Swim held in Virginia
Video: ‘It Didn’t Have to Happen This Way:’ U.Va. Faculty Call for Review of Police Response to Protests
Trump says Venezuela has begun releasing political prisoners ‘in a BIG WAY’
Somali minister says Israel plans to displace Palestinians to Somaliland
Slow-moving prisoner releases in Venezuela enter 3rd day after government announces goodwill effort
Video: Raising a Baby in Altadena’s Ashes
Trump signs order to protect Venezuela oil revenue held in US accounts
-
Detroit, MI1 week ago2 hospitalized after shooting on Lodge Freeway in Detroit
-
Technology5 days agoPower bank feature creep is out of control
-
Dallas, TX2 days agoAnti-ICE protest outside Dallas City Hall follows deadly shooting in Minneapolis
-
Dallas, TX6 days agoDefensive coordinator candidates who could improve Cowboys’ brutal secondary in 2026
-
Delaware2 days agoMERR responds to dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach
-
Iowa5 days agoPat McAfee praises Audi Crooks, plays hype song for Iowa State star
-
Health7 days agoViral New Year reset routine is helping people adopt healthier habits
-
Nebraska4 days agoOregon State LB transfer Dexter Foster commits to Nebraska