Kevin Durant is a subject that has been grist for the gossip mill ever since he joined the NBA. KD joined the league in 2007 and was selected as the second draft pick by the Oklahoma City Thunder. Durant had nine successful years with the franchise before divisively departing.
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During his term with the organization, KD accumulated seven All-Star selections, six All-NBA selections, and the illustrious MVP award in 2014.
To put into perspective just how stupendous Kevin Durant is at the game of basketball, the aforementioned accolades only pertain to his time in OKC. In 2016, he made a contentious move to join the 2015 NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors. He won 2 Championships with the Warriors, bagging 2x Finals MVPs as well. He’s built a net-worth of over $200 Million.
For all his accomplishments and his standing within the franchise, there was always a nagging flaw that was pointed out about Durant. Durant has, to date, not been labeled a leader for all the franchises he has played for. An intriguing judgment.
Kevin Durant is not regarded as a leader by the ‘KJM’ crew!
Durant has time and again been brought into the light over the past half-decade for his questionable antics as a leader. Or rather, his lack of. Durant has never been an active leader like the likes of LeBron James and Tom Brady.
Kevin Durant recently revealed it in a sit-down with Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report. Amongst other things, a fascinating statement about Durant was his defense of himself not being labeled a leader.
Durant stated-
“I’m not a leader? What the f*** does that mean? A lot of people say I’m not a leader because I didn’t tell Kyrie to get vaccinated. Come on. Or I didn’t condemn Kyrie for leaving the team. Going out and living his life. I’m not about to tell a grown-a** man what he can and can’t do with his own life and dissect his views on how he thinks about s***.”
Responding to the statement, Keyshawn Johnson, Jay Williams, and Max Kellerman believe Durant possesses no similarities to NFL great Tom Brady, or four-time NBA champion, LeBron James.
The ‘KJM’ crew stated-
“Kevin Durant is not Tom Brady or LeBron James. At the end of the day, KD is that dude that will wear his hoop shorts, underneath his pair of jeans. He’s the guy that when you go to the park, he’s there two hours early just working on his handle by himself.”
There are numerous methods to be a leader. Just because you aren’t vocal or don’t visibly exhibit your leadership does not necessarily mean that you are void of those attributes. Durant, in his own right, is a leader each and every time he picks up a basketball.
His leadership is displayed through his game. Truly personifying the phrase, ‘lead by example’.
Also read: “Hold Me Accountable”: $200 Million Kevin Durant Explained Why He Demanded a Trade From the Nets
Kevin Durant’s success, in spite of not being labeled a leader or ‘nucleus’!
Kevin Durant is an exquisite talent. There are no two ways about it. However, the ‘Slimreaper’ has seen his position, reputation, credibility, and accolades questioned ever since he opted to sign for the Golden State Warriors in 2016.
A compelling argument can be made that despite all his achievements in Oklahoma, he hit his peak with the Golden State Warriors. Durant has gone on to cement himself as a ‘Top-Three’ scorer that the league has seen. While winning two NBA championships and two NBA Finals MVPS’. An Immaculate talent.
Despite not being considered a leader, he helped the franchise obtain two championships during his three-year stay in San Francisco. Which begs the question, just how pivotal was his presence and leadership?
