Kevin Durant on leaving Golden State, and not wanting to being Michael Jordan or LeBron James: "I don't give a s**t about that"
When Kevin Durant and the OKC Thunder blew a 3-1 lead in the playoffs, the last thing anyone expected was for Durant to turn around and join the team they lost to. That's exactly what ended up happening though, as Durant rocked the world by taking his talents to Golden State.
The Warriors had already found success in the NBA Finals, leading many to wonder whether it was fair that a generational talent like Durant joined them. After joining Golden State, Durant and the team's 'big three' won two championships together before a rather controversial split. The way many saw it, there wasn't room for Durant on the same team as Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green.
When he left, many said that he wanted to go win on his own to prove himself, free from the question of his role in an already established core group. In reality, Durant says he simply wanted to go hoop elsewhere. He spoke in an interview with the Washington Post:
"A lot of people see it as I’m chasing something. And I think it probably stems when I said, ‘I don’t want to be number two no more.’ I was number two in high school, in the draft. But what I had to explain to people was, I had just lost in the Finals. I wanted to go back and win the Finals."
He continued:
"It wasn’t about: ‘I want to be the best ever. I want to be better than LeBron or [Michael Jordan].’ I don’t give a s--- about that. I want to wake up every day and do what I do. If we win, I know that stuff comes with me being the best that I can be.”
Watch below as he drops 26 points in a single quarter against the Detroit Pistons.
Kevin Durant - looking at the bigger picture
It's no secret that in recent years, Kevin Durant has grown increasingly tired of the media attention and storylines that come with being an NBA superstar. Time and time again, he has explained that all he's focused on is hooping. Earlier this season, he wound up in hot water when questioned about Kyrie Irving's ongoing controversies.
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At the time, he explained once again that he simply wanted to hoop without external distractions. After the comments, he had to clarify that he stands with the Jewish community because many viewed his statement about the Irving situation as not condemning enough.
Despite his claim that he's solely focused on hooping, Durant is managing to look at the bigger picture of life. On top of his growing business ventures, which include potentially joining a group in purchasing the Washington Commanders, he's trying to learn lessons from the game.
“It’s so much that you can learn from being an NBA player,” he says. “Life lessons in basketball. The business around the NBA. There is so much to learn here. So every stop along the way is an experience in order for me to accelerate and be better in the next part of my life.”
You can see a Forbes video highlighting his investment portfolio, below
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