How Kevin Durant Is Leading Culture Change in Today's NBA
Few NBA players work harder or love the game of basketball more than Kevin Durant. With so many players nowadays putting their own personal needs ahead of their team's, Duran't unselfishness is a refreshing sign and it's being seen in a number of the sport's rising stars.
One of Durant's favorite quotes, "Hard work beats talent, when talent fails to work hard," is one that perfectly describes him as a basketball player. Sure, Durant is ultra-talented, but he's an elite NBA player because he's willing to work harder than his peers.
In the summer of 2010, as the league's biggest free agent bonanza was about to begin, Durant signed a new extension at midnight on July 1st to little fanfare. He committed to a small-market franchise because they treated him well and the team was headed in the right direction.
After signing his new max contract, it was business as usual for Durant. He didn't make any big announcements or throw any rock concert-like celebrations.
Durant just went back to the gym and worked on every aspect of his game so he could enter the 2010-11 season as a better all-around player.
While Miami Heat forward LeBron James was throwing an hour-long ESPN special announcing his decision to embarrass his hometown team on national TV, guaranteeing championships before setting foot on the court with his new team, and making controversial commercials, Durant quickly became the most likable player in the NBA.
It seemed like an overnight shift in fan's approval, because it was.
Durant doesn't like being labelled as the "anti-LeBron," a title that many people have given him. The Thunder star spoke about this very topic at the beginning of last season.
Per the Sun-Sentinel:
""Everybody, the media, they always try to twist things up and say I'm anti-LeBron. We're two basketball players who love the game and have the same mindset, just trying to get better every day."
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While Durant may disagree that he's the anti-LeBron, many of the league's young stars have chosen to follow Durant's model of handling superstardom instead of James'.
Chicago Bulls star point guard Derrick Rose, the reigning NBA MVP, is one of the quietest superstars in the league and has followed in Durant's footsteps by not making a big deal of his accomplishments and contract signings.
Rose, like Durant, is one of the most humble players in basketball. He does his job, works hard and does so without demanding attention or hogging the spotlight.
Other stars such as Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and Cleveland Cavaliers rookie Kyrie Irving are well-known players who are also good role models and play unselfishly. Neither Rose, Curry nor Irving show any arrogance on the court.
With many veteran players showing their selfish sides recently, the NBA is fortunate to have Durant setting an example for young players coming into the game teaching them how to act like a professional on and off the court.
We look for our sports heroes to be role models, but so often they disappoint us. With Durant leading the NBA into an exciting new era, the future of pro basketball looks as bright as it has in a while.
Durant is proving that it's possible to be successful on the court while staying humble and serving as a role model for kids and adults everywhere.
