Author Topic: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'  (Read 3439 times)

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Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« on: September 10, 2019, 09:35:41 PM »

Online ozgod

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Quote
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, which was published in the WSJ magazine Tuesday, Durant reflected on the journey to get to his new reality -- a four-year, $164 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets. And the road to this point -- despite the fame, money, titles and accolades -- hasn't always been a pleasurable ride.

The two-time champion and Finals MVP hasn't been back to the Bay Area -- and has no plans to return -- since suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto. He told The Wall Street Journal that he even had staffers pack up his apartment.

He knew his time with the Warriors was over.

"It didn't feel as great as it could have been," Durant told the WSJ.

Durant pins that on fan anxiety, media speculation and the "business" of the NBA, which he finds to be the ugly side of the league.

"Some days I hate the circus of the NBA," Durant told the WSJ. "Some days I hate that the players let the NBA business, the fame that comes with the business, alter their minds about the game. Sometimes I don't like being around the executives and politics that come with it. I hate that."

Added Durant: "We talk about mental health a lot. ... We only talk about it when it comes to players. We need to talk about it when it comes to executives, media, fans."

Those same undertones still cause Durant to look back with bitterness on his time with Oklahoma City, where he spent eight seasons after the franchise moved there from Seattle after his rookie season in 2007-08. He said the positive relationships he had built over that time disappeared instantly after he made the decision to join the Warriors as a free agent after the 2015-16 season.

"People coming to my house and spray-painting on the for sale signs around my neighborhood," Durant said of the time after his decision. "People making videos in front of my house and burning my jerseys and calling me all types of crazy names."

Durant remains bitter because he feels that "venomous" emotion toward him, despite charitable contributions he made to the community, still lingers.

"Such a venomous toxic feeling when I walked into that arena [after joining the Warriors]," Durant told the WSJ. "And just the organization, the trainers and equipment managers, those dudes is p---ed off at me? Ain't talking to me? I'm like, 'Yo, this is where we going with this? Because I left a team and went to play with another team?'

"I'll never be attached to that city again because of that. I eventually wanted to come back to that city and be part of that community and organization, but I don't trust nobody there. That s--- must have been fake, what they was doing. The organization, the GM, I ain't talked to none of those people, even had a nice exchange with those people, since I left."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27585406/durant-some-days-hate-circus-nba

Original Durant interview is at https://www.wsj.com/articles/kevin-durants-new-headspace-11568119028 behind a paywall. I have a WSJ sub and can post the entire article (it's very long) here if people are interested in reading it.

Any odd typos are because I suck at typing on an iPhone :D

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2019, 09:39:27 PM »

Online Roy H.

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He hates the circus, and yet he orchestrated his departure from Golden State to play in the media capital of the world with the circus ringmaster, Kyrie Irving.


I'M THE SILVERBACK GORILLA IN THIS MOTHER——— AND DON'T NONE OF YA'LL EVER FORGET IT!@ 34 minutes

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2019, 09:43:07 PM »

Offline gouki88

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Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2019, 10:04:20 PM »

Offline Ogaju

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but I bet everyday you accept the money from the NBA.

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2019, 10:08:56 PM »

Offline Ogaju

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Quote
In an interview with The Wall Street Journal, which was published in the WSJ magazine Tuesday, Durant reflected on the journey to get to his new reality -- a four-year, $164 million deal with the Brooklyn Nets. And the road to this point -- despite the fame, money, titles and accolades -- hasn't always been a pleasurable ride.

The two-time champion and Finals MVP hasn't been back to the Bay Area -- and has no plans to return -- since suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon during Game 5 of the NBA Finals in Toronto. He told The Wall Street Journal that he even had staffers pack up his apartment.

He knew his time with the Warriors was over.

"It didn't feel as great as it could have been," Durant told the WSJ.

Durant pins that on fan anxiety, media speculation and the "business" of the NBA, which he finds to be the ugly side of the league.

"Some days I hate the circus of the NBA," Durant told the WSJ. "Some days I hate that the players let the NBA business, the fame that comes with the business, alter their minds about the game. Sometimes I don't like being around the executives and politics that come with it. I hate that."

Added Durant: "We talk about mental health a lot. ... We only talk about it when it comes to players. We need to talk about it when it comes to executives, media, fans."

Those same undertones still cause Durant to look back with bitterness on his time with Oklahoma City, where he spent eight seasons after the franchise moved there from Seattle after his rookie season in 2007-08. He said the positive relationships he had built over that time disappeared instantly after he made the decision to join the Warriors as a free agent after the 2015-16 season.

"People coming to my house and spray-painting on the for sale signs around my neighborhood," Durant said of the time after his decision. "People making videos in front of my house and burning my jerseys and calling me all types of crazy names."

Durant remains bitter because he feels that "venomous" emotion toward him, despite charitable contributions he made to the community, still lingers.

"Such a venomous toxic feeling when I walked into that arena [after joining the Warriors]," Durant told the WSJ. "And just the organization, the trainers and equipment managers, those dudes is p---ed off at me? Ain't talking to me? I'm like, 'Yo, this is where we going with this? Because I left a team and went to play with another team?'

"I'll never be attached to that city again because of that. I eventually wanted to come back to that city and be part of that community and organization, but I don't trust nobody there. That s--- must have been fake, what they was doing. The organization, the GM, I ain't talked to none of those people, even had a nice exchange with those people, since I left."

https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/27585406/durant-some-days-hate-circus-nba

Original Durant interview is at https://www.wsj.com/articles/kevin-durants-new-headspace-11568119028 behind a paywall. I have a WSJ sub and can post the entire article (it's very long) here if people are interested in reading it.


Is he really that naive? He thinks they liked him for anything other than the pleasure he gave them playing for their team? How naive.

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2019, 10:25:09 PM »

Online hpantazo

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Him and Kyrie deserve each other. I feel for Nets fans, they don't know what they are getting into

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2019, 10:50:02 PM »

Offline hwangjini_1

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Him and Kyrie deserve each other. I feel for Nets fans, they don't know what they are getting into
hey, it wasnt as great as it could have been. life is hell sometimes.
I believe Gandhi is the only person who knew about real democracy — not democracy as the right to go and buy what you want, but democracy as the responsibility to be accountable to everyone around you. Democracy begins with freedom from hunger, freedom from unemployment, freedom from fear, and freedom from hatred.
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Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2019, 11:13:42 PM »

Online jpotter33

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Which one of his burner accounts did he tweet this information about hating the NBA circus from?

Hpantazo is right - him and the pseudo-intellectual deserve each other.

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #8 on: September 11, 2019, 12:18:24 AM »

Offline RPGenerate

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How can the willing clown hate the circus?
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Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #9 on: September 11, 2019, 02:28:01 AM »

Offline ederson

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Does this guy like anyone??

He is turning into the most obnoxious athlete I can remember

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #10 on: September 11, 2019, 06:19:38 AM »

Offline Androslav

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I may hold an unpopular opinion, but I like his honesty.
I also hate the circus of the NBA sometimes.
Telling the truth is rejuvenating, even if it is not "pretty" all the time.
"The joy of the balling under the rims."

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #11 on: September 11, 2019, 06:38:15 AM »

Offline moiso

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He thinks the whole world is supposed to love him unconditionally, regardless of his actions and behaviors.  He wants to live in a world that doesn't exist.  It's not just the NBA.  Mr. Thin Skin.

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #12 on: September 11, 2019, 07:19:22 AM »

Offline mr. dee

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I may hold an unpopular opinion, but I like his honesty.
I also hate the circus of the NBA sometimes.
Telling the truth is rejuvenating, even if it is not "pretty" all the time.

More than hypocrisy. He's part of the circus he's talking about.

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #13 on: September 11, 2019, 07:23:28 AM »

Offline Androslav

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I may hold an unpopular opinion, but I like his honesty.
I also hate the circus of the NBA sometimes.
Telling the truth is rejuvenating, even if it is not "pretty" all the time.

More than hypocrisy. He's part of the circus he's talking about.
He is, but he doesn't have to like all 100% of it.
I like my job, but not 100% of it too.
« Last Edit: September 11, 2019, 07:30:32 AM by Androslav »
"The joy of the balling under the rims."

Re: Durant: 'Some days I hate the circus of the NBA'
« Reply #14 on: September 11, 2019, 10:13:53 AM »

Offline bdm860

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I may hold an unpopular opinion, but I like his honesty.
I also hate the circus of the NBA sometimes.
Telling the truth is rejuvenating, even if it is not "pretty" all the time.

More than hypocrisy. He's part of the circus he's talking about.
He is, but he doesn't have to like all 100% of it.
I like my job, but not 100% of it too.

But do you voluntarily participate in optional aspects of your job that you hate?  Because that seems to be what Durant is doing.

Look at the difference between Kawhi and Durant.  I can see them both saying they hate the circus aspect of the NBA, but one is sending out tweets from a burner account, and saying he wants to stay in OKC his entire career, and saying he's not a front runner (before joining GS), and constantly engaging the media, and the other is Kawhi.  Durant is saying he hates the business and politics, but seems to be constantly involved with it.  Kawhi just plays basketball.

Said about Durant in an ESPN article:  "Professional athletes say things, though, and as those close to Durant often say, he has a bad habit of telling people what he thinks they want to hear."

Durant is definitely a big part of the NBA circus by his own choosing.  To me, he doesn't come off as honest, he comes off as narcissistic.

After 18 months with their Bigs, the Littles were: 46% less likely to use illegal drugs, 27% less likely to use alcohol, 52% less likely to skip school, 37% less likely to skip a class