Kevin Durant wants a simple life despite his superstar performances on the court – NBA Feature
Unlike LeBron James or Dwyane Wade who are always in media attention, Kevin Durant does not have to deal with media personnel all the time, and he likes it that way.
The MVP runner up of the regular season does not crave the spotlight and prefers to stay away from the news, not talking much and not drawing any attention to himself.
It helps that he resides and plays for Oklahoma City, where hardly anyone comes looking for him. The NBA Finals has been dubbed as a matchup between Durant and the superstar of the league, LeBron James. James has a very different
personality to Durant. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated before even making it to the NBA. As he entered the league as one of the most promising talents in decades, the spotlight was always on him. And not just on the court, but off the court as well.
James made a decision to keep his life that way when he decided to join the Miami Heat with Wade and Chris Bosh. The team even had a welcoming party with the three stars modelling their new jerseys back in 2010.
In that same month, Durant signed a contract extension with the Thunder. However, there were no welcoming parties or press conferences. Not even an interview. He just went on twitter and made the announcement of how humbled he
was.
But if Durant continues to play the way he has been playing this season, particularly in the off season, it could become very difficult for him to continue living the lifestyle he is so comfortable with. The current scoring champion
is already in the spotlight for his post season heroics and is now counted as one of the top 5 stars in the NBA today. Durant scored 17 points in the fourth quarter of game 1 of the NBA Finals, and finished with 36 for the night to lead the Thunder to a 105-94
victory over the Heat.
Throughout the post season, Durant has been putting up huge games when his team needed it the most, and has earned a reputation for himself as one of the best closers in the league, far much better than LeBron James. If he continues
to add to his already long list of laurels and manages to win a championship this year, he will be catapulted to the heights of success, stardom and the public attention it brings with itself.
"It's one of those things where I respect his game, but I don't know him, either. I know probably just as much as you guys know. And sometimes it's where you're at. If he was in Los Angeles, Chicago, somewhere, it would be a little
different. Being in Oklahoma kind of dims his light a little bit. Not him on the basketball court, but him off the court,” said Wade about Durant on Wednesday.
As Durant gains popularity, he will also face the criticism that comes with it. James has been dealing with it since the day he entered the NBA. After game 1, Durant was criticised for not being aggressive in the 2nd
and 3rd quarter and not taking as many shots as he should have. This is the kind of criticism and “noise” that is part and parcel of becoming a star. But Durant is not bothered about what people are saying.
"I don't want to sound like a jerk or anything, but I really don't care what people say outside the locker room, outside of this organization, what I need to do or what I didn't do. I really don't care,” said Durant when asked
about what the critics are saying.
At 23, Durant has a long career ahead of him. He is slowly making a name for himself in the NBA. There is no doubt in anybody’s mind that he will be the next big thing in the league. Let’s hope it doesn’t bother him too much, and
he is able to stay comfortable through all of it.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article do not represent Bettor.com’s editorial policy.
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