The revamped eatery salutes 'great Oklahomans'
People in Oklahoma are still being mean to Kevin Durant. The NBA superstar broke the hearts of basketball fans in the Sooner State when he spurned the Oklahoma City Thunder after eight years with the franchise, signing to play with Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors. The reaction was, predictably, negative. Sporting goods stores sold Durant's jersey for $0.48 each. Fans gave his restaurant, KD's, terrible Yelp reviews. Durant admitted he didn't want to leave his house during the backlash. KD's eventually closed.
But now, Durant's former business partners are reopening the restaurant under a new name, and instead of celebrating the basketball icon, it will be a shrine to pretty much everyone else. Hal Smith Restaurant Group will debut Legacy Grill in September, reports the Oklahoman, and it will honor "the contributions of great Oklahomans," according to the official website. So, don't expect to see Durant's jersey hanging on the wall.
"Starting in September, join us at Legacy Grill for top-notch cuisine, a relaxed, service-oriented atmosphere and an ambience that surrounds you with artifacts commemorating more than 200 past and present Oklahoma greats," reads the website, "from astronauts and actors, to civil rights activists and civic leaders, to sports stars and singers, and many more."
"Being founded and headquartered here in central Oklahoma, we've wanted to introduce a concept like this for a long time," Hal Smith, founder of the restaurant group, told News 9 Oklahoma. You hear that, KD? They don't even miss you. Your leaving actually gave them a chance to finally open the restaurant of their dreams. Man.
Announcing these plans right after Team USA won the men's basketball gold medal at the Rio Olympics is the bitter icing on the mean-spirited cake. Durant has feelings too, jerks, and winning with his friends cheered him up after his former fans let him have it. "He's been under a little bit of pressure and duress," USA Basketball chairman Jerry Colangelo told USA Today. "To see him bust out like he did here was wonderful. It's going to help his psyche going forward, and I couldn't be happier for him."
Sorry, KD, the basketball fans of Oklahoma are staying mad.
• Former Kevin Durant restaurant will reopen with homage to famous Oklahomans [Oklahoman]
• Hal Smith Restaurants To Open Legacy Grill In Bricktown [News 9]
• Angry Basketball Fans Lash Out at Kevin Durant's Restaurant via Yelp [E]
• Kevin Durant's Career as an Oklahoma Restaurateur Is Over [E]
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