Kevin Durant relishing special return to Austin after 17 years in high-profile clash against Victor Wembanyama's Spurs

On Thursday night, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns will play their first game out of the All-Star break. They're slated to face off against Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in what will be a special matchup for Durant.

For the past few years, the Spurs have made it a goal to play a handful of home games outside of San Antonio. This week, they'll host a pair of matchups in Austin, a little over 70 miles from their home arena. Durant and the Suns just happened to fall in this stretch, resulting in a nostalgic homecoming.

Returning to Austin will be big for Kevin Durant, as it's a key stop in his basketball journey. Before being drafted No. 2 overall in 2007, KD spent his lone college season with the Texas Longhorns.

Before their matchup with the Spurs, Durant opened up on getting to play in Austin 17 years removed from his college stint.

“It does mean a lot to me,” Durant said. “I’m excited that we get to go back to play a regular-season game there. Austin is a place where I kind of started this journey, and to have so many friends and family that are still there from, what, 16, 17 years ago is pretty sweet. So, I appreciate the NBA for setting this up."

Durant shined in his lone season with the Longhorns, averaging 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds as a freshman. From there, he embarked on a journey that has led to him becoming one of the greatest talents in NBA history.

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Texas coach opens up on Kevin Durant meeting current Longhorns team

Even though he only spent one season there, Durant still has a close bond with the university and its basketball program. While in the area, the Phoenix Suns star made it a point to stop in and see the current team.

This is nothing new for KD, as he's gone back to Texas on numerous occasions. The former MVP has even done some of his offseason training there over the years. With a break in the schedule, Durant was able to have a moment with the current Longhorns squad.

After their encounter with Durant, Texas men's coach Rodney Terry touched on what a special moment it was. He said a lot of the younger players grew up idolizing KD and that getting to meet him was a heartfelt encounter. Terry also praised Durant for being a pillar of the program years after his tenure.

“To have him come back here and be here this week and be around our guys and see our guys, I mean, you can’t ask for anything better than that,” Terry said. “A lot of our guys’ favorite player is Kevin Durant. Why they chose to come to Texas was Kevin Durant. He’s had an incredible impact not only on our basketball program but also on our athletic program as a whole.”

Thursday's matchup might technically be a home game for the Spurs, but it's safe to assume Durant will have a large group there supporting him.