HBO's the Offseason Kevin Durant: TV Schedule, Preview Trailer and More
If you thought Kevin Durant relaxed during the offseason and lived a life of NBA luxury, think again.
HBO Sports and producer Jamie Patricof teamed to create the documentary, The Offseason: Kevin Durant, which gives audiences a first-person look into the superstar’s life off the court during the summer.
It is scheduled to air Tuesday, Nov. 4 at 10 p.m. ET on HBO and is also available on HBO On Demand and HBO GO. Durant and his agent, Rich Kleiman, are credited as two of the creators and executive producers.
Here is a look at the trailer, which places a heavy emphasis on Durant’s offseason workouts and commitments with his monologue over some of the footage.
Kevin Hershman, the president of HBO Sports, commented on the experience, via HBO.com: “This is an exciting partnership, and we are delighted to work with an exceptional individual like Kevin Durant. He has a magnetic personality that enables fans to connect with him far beyond the hardwood and we look forward to a very revealing program.”
The documentary tries to connect with fans by following the Oklahoma City Thunder superstar around with cameras and microphones during his physically demanding offseason.
Viewers are taken to Los Angeles, where Durant moved for the summer to train, to Maryland and to Oklahoma City. Between managing his business commitments, participating in the USA Basketball program, working on his game and finding time to rest before the season starts, it is clear that Durant is an incredibly hard worker and is dedicated to making himself better.
Fellow NBA players like Steve Nash and teammate Russell Westbrook make an appearance when Durant is working on his game and fitness.
Interestingly, there is very little mention about the public battle for Durant's endorsement between Nike and Under Armour. Durant had to choose between staying with Nike, where he has been since the 2007 NBA draft, and going to Under Armour, which is based in Baltimore, near where he grew up.
Among the other interesting subplots is a glimpse into Durant’s decision-making process when it came to withdrawing from USA Basketball before the 2014 FIBA World Cup and how difficult it was to tell coach Mike Krzyzewski.
After Paul George broke his leg in gruesome fashion during a scrimmage game, Durant was understandably shaken. He was also rather tired from a physically demanding summer (as viewers see in the documentary) and may have just needed some time off from basketball.
There is also barely a mention of Durant’s impending free agency in two years and the possibility of leaving the Thunder to go play for the Washington Wizards near his hometown.
Even if the documentary is missing details on a couple of off-the-court storylines that have consumed the public’s discussion on Durant, it provides an inside glimpse at how demanding the offseason schedule can be for NBA stars. That is the type of footage that fans cannot get on nightly highlight shows or read about in the paper, which makes this an intriguing watch.
Of course, seeing how much work Durant put into the offseason getting ready for a potential NBA title run is somewhat painful now considering the fact that he will miss significant time with a fractured foot. To make matters worse for the Thunder, Westbrook is also injured with a broken bone in his hand and is expected to miss at least four weeks.
If the Thunder can tread water for a while until Durant and Westbrook return, they should be on the shortlist of championship contenders.
They reached the Western Conference Finals a season ago and lost to the eventual champion San Antonio Spurs, but Serge Ibaka missed some time in that series. With the trio of Ibaka, Durant and Westbrook, Oklahoma City will be one of the final few teams remaining deep in the playoffs.
Then all of that offseason training audiences will see in The Offseason: Kevin Durant will finally pay off.
More information can be found at the documentary’s official website, here.
Follow me on Twitter:
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
