[Bhattacharya] Rockets GM Rafael Stone: “With respect to bringing Kevin (Durant) in, that it was championship or bust – I never said that to him… We thought he could be a wonderful example to the young guys on the team on how to work like a professional and really hone your craft”
Fans and media expected the Rockets to take a huge step forward by adding a scorer of Durant’s caliber, but the reality has been different. As a result, Rockets GM Rafael Stone spoke to reporters in his postseason exit press conference about the expectation that Durant was a ‘championship or bust’ acquisition by the franchise, making it clear that this was never the internal expectation within the organization.
“With respect to bringing Kevin (Durant) in, that it was championship or bust – I never said that to him. I never said that to anybody. That is very much not our attitude. We thought he could be additive to the team, which he was. We thought he could be a wonderful example to the young guys on the team on how to work like a professional and really hone your craft, and I think he did a great job at that. That’s the thought process.”
Source: https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/rockets-gm-says-kevin-durant-120129858.html