Inside the Golden State Warriors' practice facility in Oakland, California, Kevin Durant sat at the podium and responded to the first question of the 2018-19 season: How would he handle all the attention focused on his looming free agency that coming offseason?
"Wake up in the morning, come to practice and go home," Durant said.
The tenor of the defending champions' final season in the Bay Area was set.
Durant didn't want the focus to be on his impending decision -- yet his deal that included a player option in 2019-2020 made it difficult to avoid speculation.