Kevin Durant may be one of the greatest basketball players of this generation, but that doesn’t mean he views himself as some kind of superhuman. He’s humble, and during a 2018 interview with Bill Simmons, he even shared a surprisingly simple reaction to some fast food—which sparked a deeper conversation about the meaning of the term “superstar.”
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This was back when Durant was a part of the Golden State Warriors and winning games for fun. He was at the peak of his powers, and had won the championship in both 2017 and 2018, taking home Finals MVP in both years. So, he could very well have been carrying himself around with a sense of superiority.
However, after he won his first ring, Durant did something very down-to-earth — and it had some unexpected consequences.
KD revealed a funny story about having a Taco Bell immediately after the Warriors’ 2017 success on The Bill Simmons podcast. “After we won a championship, I had Taco Bell and it ran through me just like it would a normal person. I thought, ‘Oh shit I thought I had a golden stomach. I thought I was immune to everything,'” he said sarcastically.
He was taking a playful shot at those people who considered him invincible, which made Simmons bring up Michael Jordan.
“You thought Michael Jordan never went to the bathroom?” asked the famed podcaster and known Celtics fan.
“That’s the perception of it all,” KD replied. “‘We’re just immortal.’ We are normal f*cking people who are really good at what we do, but at the end of the day we go to sleep just like everybody else.”
This led the then 30-year-old NBA sensation to stripping himself of any type of legendary status. “It makes me realize that I am not king anything because we won a championship. I just achieved what I want in my profession just like a doctor,” he said. “That superstar word to me really isn’t a thing. It’s just all a facade. When I go through normal stuff it makes me realize I’m just a mere mortal. But I’m really f***ing good at basketball.”
That said, Durant’s humility tends to come and go. While he admitted to being just another mortal in his conversation with Simmons, he’s contradicted that sentiment over time.
“I ain’t a regular 36-year-old” – KD
Six years have passed since KD’s grounded remark. He’s now with the Phoenix Suns and is reportedly desperate for a move after missing out on postseason basketball. Even back in January, before the trade deadline, rumors were swirling, with several analysts claiming that no one would want a past-his-prime, mid-30s Durant. His response?
“I ain’t a regular 36-year-old,” the 15-time All-Star told Yahoo Sports. “I condition my mind, my body, to be a pro. So what else am I gonna do? Burn out?”
KD referring to himself as a mortal doesn’t quite align with a story Jalen Suggs once shared about the two-time NBA champion. Suggs recalled that during a game in Brooklyn, he approached Durant to ask how he managed to get favorable calls from the referees. “I’m God, rook,” responded Durant according to Suggs.
It really just depends on when you catch Durant. On the court, he’s a basketball god. But off it—especially when he’s around fast food—he’s just Kevin, a regular guy who enjoys the simple things in life. Any team pursuing him this offseason would do well to remember both sides of the man.
