Kevin Durant: Quiet Unassuming Durant Contrary to LeBron James Hype Machine

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Kevin Durant Quietly Succeeds While the Nation Keys in on LeBron James

If a man plays remarkable basketball in Oklahoma City, does anybody hear about it? In the case of Kevin Durant, it is a resounding no.

Durant is far from a household name. If you were to ask any person in the country who Kevin Durant was, they would be at a loss unless they considered themselves a sports fan.

You could ask an 80-year old woman in Duluth who spends her spare time knitting who LeBron James is and she will tell you he plays basketball.

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In one corner, we have James. This is the guy that stopped all sports action for an hour just to reveal where he would take his talents to.

In the other corner, we have Durant. He plays for a small market team in Oklahoma City, and he likes it like that. He is not loud or boisterous. He never plays to the camera in a "look at me" moment of narcissism.

He plays the game because that is what he loves to do. The fact that these two players are considered the best in the game is interesting because one of them gets little to no fanfare outside of his own home town.

Durant is a pure scorer that is just getting started. He is the backbone of his team, a player whose city relies on to bring home their first title.

James, for good or bad, wants to be a global icon. His introduction to the Heat was more rock concert than press conference. I am not here to state which is the better way of carrying oneself.

I just know that I admire Durant for his lack of interest in boosting his image. There is no getting around the fact that James is a polarizing figure. The NBA would be a much more droll place without him.

Yet, there is something to be said for a player that plays the game, gives it his all and retreats back to his home with quiet resolve. There are no entourages to keep happy, just his team. For Durant, that is more than enough.

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