MANILA – NBA All-Star Kevin Durant was given a terrific welcome by Filipinos on Sunday, when the Golden State forward visited Manila for the second time.

Durant, then playing for Oklahoma City, played in the Philippines in 2011 during the NBA lockout with a slew of other All-Stars. This time, he is visiting the country to promote his new shoe, the KD 11.

Filipino fans braved the sun – and later, the rain – just to catch a glimpse of the reigning two-time NBA Finals Most Valuable Player at the Bonifacio High Street. For Durant, it was "amazing" to see the support of Pinoys who are known to be among the most passionate basketball fans in the world.

"Just the love for the game, you can feel it," said Durant. "The energy… so many people love basketball. It's been great thus far, and I'm looking forward to the next couple of days."

Durant has been busy since helping the Warriors win their second straight NBA title last month, when they swept LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in four games. Before his visit to Manila, Durant was in Guangzhou, China, to promote his shoe.

That he is able to go to so many places and see so many different people never ceases to amaze Durant, as he looked back on his journey as a basketball player on Sunday.

"It's just been a movie. It's been a roller-coaster," said Durant, who hails from Seat Pleasant in Maryland. "So many different emotions that go in this journey."

"I've learned so much from the game of basketball that I try to apply in my personal life, and through the experiences of traveling with Nike," he added. "I'm just so grateful and thankful that I got the opportunity to do so much with the game of basketball."

Durant says he tries his best to stay in the moment, especially as he prepares to enter his 12th season in the league.

"It's too far to look back, and it's too far to even know what's gonna happen in the future, so I'm just right in it," said Durant, the second overall pick in the 2007 NBA Rookie Draft. "I don't even know what's gonna happen tomorrow, or what's gonna happen down the line."

"I'm just staying in the moment as best as I can, and try to get as much as I can out of this moment, because I know what we're doing right now doesn't last forever," he added.

"This has been so much fun, but it's been a blur as well. I'm about to be in my 12th year… I'm just trying to stay in the moment as much as possible."