I say some form of this statement almost everyday:
“Don’t trust how an athlete is perceived in the media. You simply don’t know if they are good, bad or crazy guys.”
We have players saying they retired because Jesus told them to, getting arrested with loaded pistols in their car a month later, etcetera, etcetera.
We have one of the most revered good ole boy Quarterback in the league possibly sending his package to a younger look-a -like of his wife.
You just don’t know and you can never be sure, but with Kevin Durant you hope he is the real deal.
Check out this story about Lebron asking KD to a party before the Heat vs. Thunder Friday night preseason game:
LeBron James was having a party in Kansas City at The Midland, a theater downtown. Durant was invited but politely declined the offer. “I don’t go out to parties the day before a game,” Durant told The Oklahoman. “I really don’t go out too much during the season.”
This guy, Durant. It’s preseason. The game doesn’t matter. Durant probably won’t even play more than 20 minutes. Yet he’s not going out to a party. It wasn’t a shot at LeBron, it’s just how KD operates.
This isn’t a knock on Lebron, D Wade or any of these young athletes who enjoy being “celebrities”, it is just nice to know there is one player that truly breathes basketball 24/7.
I want to stress again this isn’t an assessment on Lebron James as he played brilliantly in the preseason game that the Heat won.
But everyone enjoys a throwback and Kevin Durant is indeed a throwback.
He reminds me a lot of Larry Bird—Bird was just a serial killer and all that mattered to him was winning and playing basketball. His competitiveness rivaled anyone in NBA history. While Magic Johnson was riding in limos, Bird was shooting threes. Both were effective, but one didn’t care about the fame, just the basketball.
When I hear people say Durant is “humble, respectful and hard working”, it is sort of like when people say to a man “he is a good father for taking care of his child”. While the compliment is appreciated, that is what you are suppose to do as a man.
The fact that Durant stands out like a sore thumb in the current crop of NBA players says a lot more about the current players than it does about Durant.
I wish this for every athlete but particular Durant that we never see him on Deadspin, TMZ or me having to say “smarten up Nas”.
We can only hope.