Kevin Durant warms up before a game against the Golden State Warriors last month. Photo: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Phoenix Suns superstarKevin Durant has one of the most "legendary" pregame shooting routines in the NBA, The Athletic reported last week.
The big picture: Athletes across sports have their own unique approach to pregame conditioning.
Some, like Devin Booker, focus on mindset. Some practice trick shots. Others just want to see the ball go through the hoop as many times as possible.
How it works: Durant — who became the eighth NBA player in history to reach 30,000 career points earlier this month — takes the court for a 15-minute workout that ends with him drenched in sweat.
Suns assistant coach David Fizdale is tasked with orchestrating an intense "dress rehearsal" of what he's likely to face during the game.
"And to Kevin's credit, the amount of energy he puts into his pregame is unique," Fizdale told The Athletic.
Each session ends with a dunk and high-fives with assistants and managers before he returns to the locker room.
What they're saying: "Balance, follow through, get my legs up under me. But also try to get a sweat in," is how Durant explained his routine.
He doesn't want his "first hard move" to come after the clock starts, he told The Athletic.
The bottom line: "At 36 years old, he's still getting better, as crazy as that sounds," Fizdale said.
