NBA Free Agency: No Underrating Kevin Durant's Humility in Me-First Era

We're in an age of ego-centric sports stars.

We're in an age of the AAU, with guys who grew up with AND 1, thinking they were the hottest young talent to ever touch a basketball. We're in an age where those players were surrounded by fluffers and leeches early in their careers, where the players got trapped in a downward spiral of ego-inflation and a growing sense of entitlement.

We're in an age where the NBA's brightest star, LeBron James, is about to commandeer the world's largest sports network for a one-hour special to announce which team he'll be playing for next.

And we're in an age where the NBA's most promising rising star—Kevin Durant—is defying all of the me-first conventions this summer.

Durant signed a five-year, $86 million extension with the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday. Unlike James, who needs his one-hour "Decision Special" as his final act in free agency, or the new Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh tandem, who had to announce their partnership to the world on SportsCenter, Durant announced his extension the old-fashioned way: Twitter.

Durant's extension does not include an opt-out clause. Given that he still has a year to fulfill on his rookie contract, OKC essentially just locked up Durant through 2016, and Durant was more than willing to come along for the ride.

"He told everyone from Day One that he's committed to five years and doesn't care about an out," Durant's agent Aaron Goodwin told The Oklahoman. "And that shows you the magnitude of the person Kevin Durant is." 

Better yet? According to The Oklahoman, OKC general manager Sam Presti appeared on Durant's doorstep at 11:01 p.m. CST on June 30 (the first minute he was allowed to in free agency); Durant had agreed in principle to the terms of the deal by 11:02 p.m. CST. 

Durant doesn't need to go on a free agency tour to have NBA owners tell him about how great he is, or how much they need him on their team. He doesn't need to build the Kevin Durant brand by hosting media spectacles any time he's making a major decision. 

Instead, Durant seems singlehandedly focused on one goal: to become the best basketball player ever.

Right now, considering Durant is all of 21 years old and just became the NBA's youngest scoring champion in league history, can you really say you know what Durant's ceiling is?

This is a guy who Tweets two weeks ago: "LA is definitely turnt up right now...but I'd rather be in Chicago getting this good work in!! No disrespect, but I'm tryna be the greatest!"

He's really only 21? Are we sure LeBron's 25, in that case? Have the two had a Freaky Friday switch of maturity recently?

The day after Durant mentioned how he'd rather be "getting some good work in," he worked out three times (1, 2, 3), according to his Twitter page. He's in the offseason and he's getting in three workouts a day.

Now, I'm not doubting King James' work ethic. From all reports, he upped his practice routine's intensity even more after spending time with Kobe Bryant on the 2008 Olympic team, and he's clearly been working out this week at the LeBron James Skills Academy despite the massive decision hanging over his head. 

But King James wants to be the best, right? Has he gotten in three workouts a day any day this summer? Does he plan on it any time soon?

Durant seems to have become emboldened by the Thunder's surprise playoff berth this past season, given the extremes to which they pushed the eventual-champion Lakers. After all, without a miracle Pau Gasol putback at the end of Game Six, the Thunder would have been headed back to Los Angeles for Game Seven.

Having tasted the bitterness of playoff defeat for the first time, Durant's become even hungrier and more obsessed with winning a championship. He's already talking about winning a title with the core group the Thunder have on the team now. 

As if to prove his point, he spent his Fourth of July in a hotel room after flying to Orlando to watch his rookie and second-year teammates in summer league games.

But no, Durant didn't fly to Orlando because the team forced him to go, or for any other similar sinister reason. On Tuesday, Durant wrote: "I just like to watch basketball, I jus [sic] love basketball.that's why I go to the draft and to summer league and all that stuff. that's all it is."

That says it all.

J.A. Adande's right. Durant's extension really could go down as the signing of the Summer of LeBron.

That's in no short part because of Durant's character, drive, and ultimate motivation.

Durant doesn't care about marketing Kevin Durant.

Durant cares about his teammates. Durant cares about winning NBA championships.

And Durant cares about becoming the best basketball player he can possibly be, no matter what it takes to get there.

It's a nice contrast to the rest of the free agent hysteria going on now, isn't it?