Kevin Durant discusses NBA rivalries, friendship with DeAndre Jordan

Kevin Durant discusses NBA rivalries, friendship with DeAndre Jordan LOS ANGELES — On July 4, after Kevin Durant announced his intention to sign with the Warriors, the first congratulatory text message he received came from a member of one of his biggest Western-Conference threats. “He just told me that he was proud of me,” Durant recalled Wednesday of that message from Clippers center DeAndre Jordan. During shootaround at Staples Center, Durant discussed a host of topics: rivalries in the NBA, his summer meeting with the Clippers and, of course, his friendship with Jordan. Nowadays, players get traded, they move teams every year. Mostly all the core guys, but I’m sure the guys that started the rivalry, from Jermaine O’Neal to David Lee to Matt Barnes, those guys are on other teams. [...] I don’t think the quote unquote superstars, they don’t start that stuff. On how much he leaned on Jordan this past offseason: At the end of the day, he wanted me to come to the Clippers. Friendships, no matter who you play for, what you do or what decisions you make, that’s why I was around him more than anything. [...] the fact that he made the decision he wanted to make, I think we agree that we both kind of went through the same things. Him going to Dallas, then having second thoughts about wanting to stay here around the people he grew up with, wanting to stick with this organization, I think him making that decision was bold. Head coach Steve Kerr said that he won’t rest anyone Wednesday against the Clippers, but he will likely sit some of his core players at some point during this five-game road trip. After facing LA, Golden State plays at Utah on Thursday, at Memphis on Saturday, at Minnesota on Sunday and at New Orleans on Tuesday. Connor Letourneau is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer.