Kevin Durant's new No. 35 Warriors jersey is "flying off the rack," as Fanatics.com has identified Durant as the "top-selling NBA player this month overall and in 30 different states," according to ESPN's Stan Verrett. The Warriors alone "sold a whopping 2,000 jerseys in the first 24 hours after Durant signed" with the club as a free agent after spending his first nine years in the NBA with the Thunder ("SportsCenter," ESPN, 7/26). ESPN's Darren Rovell noted Durant sold "more jerseys in 1st week with Warriors," which accounts for July 7-14, than Cavaliers F LeBron James sold when he returned to the team in '14. Despite the acrimony surrounding Durant's departure from the Thunder, Oklahoma is one of the 30 states in which he has the "best selling NBA jersey this month" (TWITTER.com, 7/25).
SENDING IT BACK TO THE KITCHEN: In Oklahoma City, Brianna Bailey notes Durant's downtown restaurant "closed Sunday, just three weeks after" he left for the Warriors, though it plans to reopen with a "new theme after Labor Day." The restaurant "has remained popular" since Durant's departure, but it has been part of Kd's Founder & CEO Hal Smith's "plan to be flexible." Durant was a 25% owner in Kd's "when the eatery was first announced" in '12, but it is "unclear if he will maintain any ownership stake" (OKLAHOMAN, 7/26).
