Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant is no longer obsessing over what he will leave behind for people to remember him by. In the past, he was enjoying the prospect of being mentioned “in the same breath” as the NBA’s top guys. These days, though, he is focusing on producing good performances each day and being the best that he can be before going home and spending time with his family.
Warriors’ Move Changed Things
Speaking to The Athletic, Durant said that his priorities have changed over the years. At the start of his career, he was more worried about his basketball legacy and the mark he would leave on the NBA. He said he wanted “to carve out a lane” for himself that people will remember.
Unfortunately, that became “too much of a thing” for the twelve-time NBA All-Star and the “What’s he done?” questions started becoming tiring. So, today, Durant says he “truly, truly” doesn’t care, and wants to focus on his day-to-day performances and family instead.
Durant said his focus changed after signing with the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Before the move, people were looking at Durant and expecting him to help his teams beat the defending Western Conference champions. However, once he joined the team he was supposed to beat, people started blaming him for copping out and taking the easy way to those NBA Championship rings.
Durant said that after he left the Thunder to join the Warriors, he knew that he would never be judged as an individual and people would add “a narrative” to his achievements to discredit him.
No Longer Concerned About Fans’ Opinions
Trying to leave a legacy behind stopped being fun around that time too. Durant said that people moved the goalposts, expecting more and more from him. When he didn’t, that was a problem.
He also no longer engages with fans so much because he cannot be upset by what they say. So, when a fan comes to him and tells him “KD, I don’t like how you did this,” he says he accepts that for what it is, the fan’s view, and moves forward to be the best version of himself on the court.
And that can be a good thing for Durant, as he used to seem too concerned with what people were thinking. He now probably knows that obsessing over those things and trying to make everyone happy is next to impossible. And he doesn’t need to look further than LeBron James to see that people who achieve great things also have to deal with a lot of naysayers.
So, if Durant wins another championship with the Suns that would be great for his resume. However, even if he never sets foot on a basketball court again, he can be sure that he will go down in history as one of the best and most versatile players in the game, doubters or not.
