Kevin Durant Longhorn Legend

[Patrick Bateman 3910]

Maybe the most controversial and enigmatic great Longhorn of all-time, certainly of recent memory.  As far as sports personalities, he probably is Texas' greatest professional player in any sport (Clemens?) of relevance (perhaps Spieth catches him one day) yet there is a wide variance of opinions of him in this community.  He's already one of the top 3 players in the world and really the only player you can make a credible argument for being the greatest player in the last 3-4 years other than Lebron.  He's a first ballot HOF, he's a league MVP (3 times coming in 2nd), Finals MVP, 9 time All-Star, and 8 time All NBA.  He's basically a next gen Larry Bird.

I created this thread partly to talk about his game, his personality, his basketball legacy as a professional and Longhorn, partly to get some of the weird trolling about him out of the playoff threads, and also to see if folks opinions may change or has changed since his free agency decision.  Reading this article early this morning, this seems like a good summation of non-Longhorn fans, but does it incapsulate the majority of Longhorn opinions?  Interested to see where this takes us, but figured it was time he gets his own thread....

https://www.si.com/nba/2018/05/15/kevin-durant-conversation-warriors-rockets-nba-playoffs-stephen-curry

No doubt, KD has to own some of his own problems..... Dude needs a social media manager and toughen up or unplug.

Quote

On this, everyone should be able to agree: Kevin Durant is responsible for the ongoing conversation about Kevin Durant.

Durant chose to leave Oklahoma City for a 73-win team. His decision ended a budding Thunder-Warriors rivalry before it really got started. He registered those burner accounts, liked all those tweets, and took those unnecessary shots at his former team. He joined a Warriors organization where he would never be as beloved as Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. He publicly ceded leadership duties to Curry. He taped those podcasts, bemoaned those “Blog Boys” and pushed back against analytics, even as his own game and team represent high-efficiency, high-IQ basketball. And he has avoided making waves at the podium, mumbling through clichés instead of launching into LeBron James-like soliloquies while wearing Nike sweats instead of tailored suits.

On this, though, everyone should also begin to acknowledge: Durant has been the best player in the 2018 NBA playoffs besides James.

From last night.... KD was easily the difference.

Quote

Make no mistake, Game 1 was losable for the Warriors. Harden came out red–hot and focused. Chris Paul was as feisty ever. The crowd was louder and far more optimistic than it was during the 2015 finals. Green admitted that he came out “overzealous” and received a technical foul less than two minutes into the game. Curry never looked perfectly healthy, and he had to work overtime defensively as the Rockets targeted him. Golden State prevailed because it kept its collective composure after Houston’s opening flurry, because Houston’s supporting cast came up small, and because Durant punished his defenders time and again. The Rockets loaded up their roster with perimeter stoppers last summer and none stood a chance.

This really rings true and Durant has to own a lot of it as he did a poor job of building his own narrative..... He says he doesn't care, but I call BS on that.  

Quote

In this, Durant has become the anti-James. When Cleveland wins, James gets the credit. When Cleveland loses, James’s teammates usually take the blame. However, when Golden State wins, Durant’s teammates usually get the credit. And if Golden State ever loses big in the playoffs, Durant would surely be first in line for the blame, punchlines and memes mocking his next free-agency decision, and all the rest.

Regardless of who's the "leader" of the squad..... KD is unquestionably the best player on the team and it becomes readily apparent during the playoffs although this was widely debated even as recently as this season.  We need to put that to bed.  He's the guy that can get GS a bucket at anytime and play on the ball defense vs the opponent's best player.  GSW's inability to get a good look at anytime was exploited in 2016 when the Cavs came back to beat an all-time regular season team.  The Warriors may have won that series had Draymond not gotten suspended but remember they lost 9 games that regular season and lost 9 games in the playoffs, so they had already shown vulnerability that season in the playoffs when Curry was constantly hounded and pushed on defense and shot 40% from the field (36% the last 3 games) with more turnovers than assists.  He played at less than 100% but it's still was the missing ingredient....

Quote

Although it’s sacrilegious to say, Durant has been so consistently excellent in the postseason that Golden State might not need Curry to win the title. This sentiment, if conveyed at all, has come via whisper. The opposite take—that Curry’s Warriors don’t need Durant—is invariably shouted.

Yes, Curry was there first, and the foundation for this potential dynasty was made in his image. But downplaying Durant’s central role in Golden State’s 25–3 postseason record over the past two years would be inaccurate and disrespectful. To careful observers, he’s erased every question about his value and answered every doubt about his game since arriving in Golden State. He’s climbing to new heights, and he knows it.

“I don’t know if we’re at our peak,” Durant said ominously after Game 1. “I think we could be better

Is KD the best player in the NBA currently?  Not IMO but he's really the only player that can push Lebron on the subject and he was arguably better than Lebron H2H last year in the Finals..... Can he ever overtake Lebron as the best player?  Can he ever do enough to change skeptics or troll's opinions?  He didn't create the Warriors opportunity, he simply took advantage of it.... Will making a sound (if unpopular) choice always define him?  Can he ever have a Lebron type reboot?  Fuck him and his bald spot?

[Hate 20106]

Fuck him and his bald spot. He chose the chicken shit path to a title. That’s fine if you are an aging veteran chasing a ring, but to go to that team after his team choked away a 3-1 lead is ridiculous. He wanted to change his “legacy” and he did. He’s an all time great player, but I will never consider him one of the all time great winners no matter how many rings he gets in Oakland.

[pacman 7355]

As a Longhorn fan, short of getting arrested or shamed in some illegal fashion, I do not care one iota about any drama caused (or perceived) in the NBA. The idea a player should avoid joining a team because it may already be too good is ridiculous. 

He is a Longhorn, a great Longhorn at that, who has become a great HoF worthy professional. I don't think he is the best player ever but he sure is shit is hard to stop.

Edited May 15, 2018 by pacman

[Rockethorn1978 6072]

Last night showed how fucking unstoppable he is though. Damn he looked good. 

[Bogeywon 2519]

14 minutes ago, Hate said:

Fuck him and his bald spot. He chose the chicken shit path to a title. That’s fine if you are an aging veteran chasing a ring, but to go to that team after his team choked away a 3-1 lead is ridiculous. He wanted to change his “legacy” and he did. He’s an all time great player, but I will never consider him one of the all time great winners no matter how many rings he gets in Oakland.

Username checks out

[Hank Scorpio 17729]

15 minutes ago, Hate said:

Fuck him and his bald spot. He chose the chicken shit path to a title. That’s fine if you are an aging veteran chasing a ring, but to go to that team after his team choked away a 3-1 lead is ridiculous. He wanted to change his “legacy” and he did. He’s an all time great player, but I will never consider him one of the all time great winners no matter how many rings he gets in Oakland.

Username checks out. 

[Hank Scorpio 17729]

Fuck!

[Patrick Bateman 3910]

2 minutes ago, Bogeywon said:

Username checks out

 

2 minutes ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Username checks out. 

LOL!!!!!  Props to both..... Hate loathes him some KD.  Loathes.....

 

[zork 629]

38 minutes ago, Hate said:

Fuck him and his bald spot. He chose the chicken shit path to a title. That’s fine if you are an aging veteran chasing a ring, but to go to that team after his team choked away a 3-1 lead is ridiculous. He wanted to change his “legacy” and he did. He’s an all time great player, but I will never consider him one of the all time great winners no matter how many rings he gets in Oakland.

Dude, he chose to get out of Oklahoma.  It was a great decision.

[52-80 19144]

1. Is he the best UT BBer?  No.  The most talented and NBA-successful, sure.  That he was 1 and out was 1 -- while a good decision for him personally -- does not endear him more than someone like a TJ Ford.   He can rep UT everywhere he goes, but still doesnt knock TJ or Pj Tucker or others as my fav longhorn bballer.

2.  Is he the best Warrior?  Also No.  Steph was and is that team.  Steph was at the genesis of it.  His style of play is what their system is built around.  

3.  Warriors' 3-1 finals... ....already mentioned - Draymond was out of it.  Another hate-but-respect guy.  Their other playoffs losses was 1 point on the road @ Houston, and @ Portland.  To use that as a knock against Steph is silly.  How about KD + Klay + Iguodala vs Cavs that year?

4.  The move to Warriors.... good personal decision for him, shitty for the league's competitiveness.  Boston's big 3 or Miami's 3 do not compare in magnitude to that move.  

He had to have foreseen the backlash to that move.  His reputation is not undeserved - the social media pettiness.  The shedding of his wholesome image into this faux badboy in conjunction with the move.  etc.

You can recognize him as an all-time great scorer, but at the same time also his flaws.  

[52-80 19144]

2 minutes ago, zork said:

Dude, he chose to get out of Oklahoma.  It was a great decision.

It being a great decision for him is not incompatible with it being a shitty move in other aspects.  Not mutually exclusive.

Same thing as Lebron ditching Cleveland for Miami.  

[kingkoopa6 8344]

y'all mad?

[Gut Wagon 8065]

I liked KD in Seattle, because he was one of ours, and clearly the most talented Longhorn ever.

I didn't like him much in OKC, because I don't like anything about Oklahoma (well, they do have good deer hunting), and the Thunder were more of a talented Spurs rival than the Sonics recently had been.

Had KD joined the Spurs instead of the Warriors, I'd have loved him for it, and it would have made the NBA much more compelling, in my view. But...he baled on that, and I baled on caring one way or the other about how his career plays out. He's clearly a HOFer, but when he went to GS, I thought it sucked the air out of the room. Still hasn't come back. Don't know if non-Spurs fans feel that way or not.  

Edited May 15, 2018 by Gut Wagon

[zork 629]

2 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

It being a great decision for him is not incompatible with it being a shitty move in other aspects.  Not mutually exclusive.

Same thing as Lebron ditching Cleveland for Miami.  

It's not KD's fault the team was sold/moved to OKC.  He would have probably resigned if it were still in Seattle or somewhere else, anywhere(almost) else.

He was money last night.  

[Thatguy 8671]

   Here is the thing. I don't understand why people think that just because someone makes a lot of money we have a right to abuse them through social media. We also contradict ourselves. We want to judge a guy for how many rings he wins, but in the same breath criticize him for going to a better organization. So if a guy is drafted by an organization that is hell bent on being an also ran, he should hang around and waste his entire career there. I do not like GS, but after seeing what Westbrook is doing with Melo and George there, I cannot fault KD for jumping in the lifeboat.

[Lhorn 4909]

1 hour ago, pacman said:

As a Longhorn fan, short of getting arrested or shamed in some illegal fashion, I do not care one iota about any drama caused (or perceived) in the NBA. The idea a player should avoid joining a team because it may already be too good is ridiculous. 

He is a Longhorn, a great Longhorn at that, who has become a great HoF worthy professional. I don't think he is the best player ever but he sure is shit is hard to stop.

Exactly.  

He's a Longhorn and reps the University.  He's a freak of nature.  Love KD.  Lebron is the best active player and likely better than Jordan, but KD is second.  

KD til I die.

[52-80 19144]

3 minutes ago, Thatguy said:

   Here is the thing. I don't understand why people think that just because someone makes a lot of money we have a right to abuse them through social media. We also contradict ourselves. We want to judge a guy for how many rings he wins, but in the same breath criticize him for going to a better organization. So if a guy is drafted by an organization that is hell bent on being an also ran, he should hang around and waste his entire career there. I do not like GS, but after seeing what Westbrook is doing with Melo and George there, I cannot fault KD for jumping in the lifeboat.

That's a mischaracterization embedded in an oversimplification.  Nobody chastised Gary Payton for chasing rings at the tail end of his career.  Durant OTOH was starting to enter his peak, with an up-and-coming organization whose core he formed.  The year after their Finals trip, Westbrook got injured.  The year after, Durant got injured.  Their finish in 14-15-16 wasnt indicative of their potential.  And on top of that, rather than going to the Spurs where there was a TX connection, with the nucleus on the cusp of retirement , he joined the upstart-dynasty Warriors

[Mole 4330]

Team KD here. I'd put him 1b to Lebron's 1a as best in the league. He might have passed him already. OKC wasn't a good situation and I don't blame him for leaving. Once he decided to leave, I don't see why he shouldn't go to the best fit for him. I think the hate here has a lot to do with the Spurs (mostly) and Rockets (more recently). 

Longterm, we'll only vaguely remember all of this if the Warriors keep up this run. Once he has a handful of rings on a team he was clearly the best player, he'll be seen as an all-time great in a way that he wouldn't have had he stolen a championship or two (at best) in OKC.

[Goo Punch 4275]

7 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

That's a mischaracterization embedded in an oversimplification.  Nobody chastised Gary Payton for chasing rings at the tail end of his career. Durant OTOH was starting to enter his peak, with an up-and-coming organization whose core he formed.   The year after their Finals trip, Westbrook got injured.  The year after, Durant got injured.  Their finish in 14-15-16 wasnt indicative of their potential.  And on top of that, rather than going to the Spurs where there was a TX connection, with the nucleus on the cusp of retirement , he joined the upstart-dynasty Warriors

KD was entering his 10th year in the league (one single Finals appearance and his team got mashed) and the Thunder were no longer “up-and-coming”, they were a team in flux because of the toxic environment created by Russell Westbrook. The idea that he was still young and abandoning a “team on the rise” is totally false.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Goo Punch

[Stella Link 534]

KD was a great Longhorn.  He's a great NBA player.  I'm a KD fan, a Longhorn fan and a Rockets fan.  It's the Rockets problem figuring out how to stop KD and the Warriors.  Obviously, the Rockets aren't there yet.  

[BigOrange1 6432]

i just don't see how anyone can watch the last 2 years of durant playing basketball compared to the last 2 years of the thunder playing basketball and not immediately understand why he wanted to GTFO of there.  

i mean it totally sucks that he (and the warriors) stacked the deck so much that it's taken basically all of the drama out of the later rounds of the playoffs, but once lebron made it ok to do back in 2010 it shouldn't be that surprising that someone followed in his footsteps.  

and i said it back on the day he decided to go to the warriors and i still believe it's true, once he's won a few championships as the best player on the court, only a very vocal minority is going to care much about the move that got him there.

[SDG 3319]

Fuck all the haters. KD doesnt owe any of you or you favorite NBA city a damn thing.  He wanted out of OKC and after nearly every team in the league came calling he chose the best situation for him.

The dude both reps UT and donates to the school and in return he gets hated on by many of our “so called” fans.  

[Mole 4330]

15 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

And on top of that, rather than going to the Spurs where there was a TX connection, with the nucleus on the cusp of retirement , he joined the upstart-dynasty Warriors

1

This seems like a pretty good reason to NOT go to the Spurs.

[SDG 3319]

1 minute ago, BigOrange1 said:

i just don't see how anyone can watch the last 2 years of durant playing basketball compared to the last 2 years of the thunder playing basketball and not immediately understand why he wanted to GTFO of there.  

i mean it totally sucks that he (and the warriors) stacked the deck so much that it's taken basically all of the drama out of the later rounds of the playoffs, but once lebron made it ok to do back in 2010 it shouldn't be that surprising that someone followed in his footsteps.  

and i said it back on the day he decided to go to the warriors and i still believe it's true, once he's won a few championships as the best player on the court, only a very vocal minority is going to care much about the move that got him there.

Vic will be along shortly to tell us all how much different the LBJ to Miami was...

[Goo Punch 4275]

Not to mention that the Spurs are the New England Patriots of the league, had just won 65 games, featured a top-5, best-two-player-in-the-League, first-team All-NBA stud, plus the best coach in the game. To slam him for joining the Warriors yet act like joining the Spurs would have been more noble is equally asinine to the rest of that post.

[GreenspointTexas 9598]

1 minute ago, SDG said:

Fuck all the haters. KD doesnt owe any of you or you favorite NBA city a damn thing.  He wanted out of OKC and after nearly every team in the league came calling he chose the best situation for him.

The dude both reps UT and donates to the school and in return he gets hated on by many of our “so called” fans.  

Absolutely

 

 

this

 

 

 

 

 

buncha cry babies on here.

welcome to professional sports, idiots. Thats why i barely watch the nba, nfl, and mlb in comparison to college

 

players can go or do whatever the fuck they want. If you complain about it, its your goddamn fault for getting invested in players or a franchise that will literally up and move if the stands come up empty or the new arena doesnt get built

 

KD is badass for recognizing what he wanted and doing whatever he could to get there. This is the nba... what the fuck have yall been watching the past 70 years? Lmao... so many old asses acting like bitches....

[Ricky Butler 2683]

1 hour ago, Hate said:

He’s an all time great player, but I will never consider him one of the all time great winners no matter how many rings he gets in Oakland.

I THINK YOU MEAN RINGZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ

[ChiTownDoc 21139]

KD is a HOF lock.  I’ll just say it’s nice to see some objective Longhorns.  

Well, I’ll say one more thing...As for the others, I can’t hate on supporting a loyal Horn.  

[Ricky Butler 2683]

5 minutes ago, Goo Punch said:

Not to mention that the Spurs are the New England Patriots of the league, had just won 65 games, featured a top-5, best-two-player-in-the-League, first-team All-NBA stud, plus the best coach in the game. To slam him for joining the Warriors yet act like joining the Spurs would have been more noble is equally asinine to the rest of that post.

And who would want to spend the prime of their life in Oklahoma playing for shitty coaches.

[ChickenSandwich 9824]

love Durant, it's almost like people forget that Bron had to go to HOFer Wade and top 15 All Star Player in Bosh to win his first title.  He couldn't do it in Cleveland, like Durant couldn't in OKC.  Zero issues, go get em Durant.  He has surpassed Curry on that team an it isn't close.  They could trade Curry next season and be right back where they are now, because of Durant

[Lhorn 4909]

18 minutes ago, SDG said:

Fuck all the haters. KD doesnt owe any of you or you favorite NBA city a damn thing.  He wanted out of OKC and after nearly every team in the league came calling he chose the best situation for him.

The dude both reps UT and donates to the school and in return he gets hated on by many of our “so called” fans.  

Outstanding.

OKC was never to get over the hump.  They went to the finals with 3 NBA MVP quality players on the squad and got trounced.  Wasn't going to ever happen with Westbrook at point.  So he's gotta go to a bad team or a mediocre team to make fan's happy?  Screw that.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Lhorn

[Machinator 32099]

I will always appreciate KD. He was great in his one year wearing the burnt orange, he's been a good ambassador for the brand, and he's a damn great player.

I have no problem with his decision to leave the OKC Thunder. I didn't like that he ended up with the Warriors. These are two distinct events that I treat independently.

That said, I'm glad he got his ring. The pressure to win at the highest level is immense when you're a superstar talent, and for his sake, I'm glad that monkey's off his back. My personal hope is that Seattle gets an expansion franchise and that Durant brings them a ring (kind of like LeBron), going full circle in his career. The Wizards would be cool too, I guess, but they have shitty leadership so I don't blame any stars for steering clear.

Edited May 15, 2018 by Machinator

[Lhorn 4909]

I suspect a lot of people who are unhappy that he went to the Warriors aren't worried about the league.  They are upset that it means THEIR team has no chance.  If he and other FA players went to their team, almost guaranteeing a championship, I suspect they'd get over their hand wringing about the league pretty quickly.

[Mole 4330]

24 minutes ago, Lhorn said:

Outstanding.

OKC was never to get over the hump.  They went to the finals with 3 NBA MVP quality players on the squad and got trounced.  Wasn't going to ever happen with Westbrook at point.  So he's gotta go to a bad team or a mediocre team to make fan's happy?  Screw that.

Had there been a way to keep the core together (KD, Westbrook, Harden, Ibaka), I think they had a good shot at multiple championships. As destructive as hero ball is, the amount of talent would have been overwhelming. Assuming James Harden wins the MVP this year, that's 3 MVP-level players on the same team. That might be the most talented big 3 ever.

[Nolacycling 893]

52 minutes ago, Ricky Butler said:

And who would want to spend the prime of their life in Oklahoma playing for shitty coaches.

I hope OKC figures out how shitty Donovan is (n't) and fires him after next season. Thinking there will be an open position in Austin, TX.

[JimmyJames 12271]

KD is the best scorer I’ve ever seen. He’s basically unstoppable. 

Leaving OKC was the best move he ever made. Not only because its a shithole, but because he being paired with Westbrook was the worst pairing of superstar players I’ve ever seen. You probably couldn’t dream up a shittier situation for Durant than that clusterfuck. You can bitch about him going to Golden State if you really feel like it but you can’t bitch about him leaving OKC. That’s uber dumb. Westbrook will never win a title. He wouldn’t have even if Durant had stayed. KD was smart to bail. 

[thepop 4409]

Fuck him, he a bitch

[Lhorn 4909]

1 hour ago, Nolacycling said:

I hope OKC figures out how shitty Donovan is (n't) and fires him after next season. Thinking there will be an open position in Austin, TX.

I love Harden as a complete player and I love what Westbrook can do.  I think he's the most exciting individual player in the league.  He does nothing to enhance the players around him though and I think good players on his team will not live up to their potential with him on the team.  I also thought that they've have to have so much $$$ tied up in those 3 salaries that they couldn't afford a front court worth a damn.

[crony 359]

Team KD always. Good for him to get out of OKC with toxic Westbrook and cheap ass Presti. The guy donates 3 mil to the university, and not only outfits the mens and women's basketball team with his gear, but also the football staff from Tom Herman on down to the recruits. I loved watching the LHN and seeing football players sporting the KD brand. Nice recruiting tool, and the better KD plays the bigger his brand becomes. 

[52-80 19144]

KD and Westbrook went to the finals as 23 and 24 year olds.  In subsequent seasons one or the other were injured.  That run was not indicative of that squads ceiling.

 

Spurs weren't a finals write-in.  Their 3 turned 50 years old.  But they had a good system, and Kawhi was on a break-out, with another UT All Star joining.

 

Then there were speculations of going back to his hometown with JWall, or Boston, neither of which brought a seismic shock that GS did.  

 

With that, KD made himself one of the most polarizing stars across the NBA fanbase.  And people think his derision comes solely from a small pocket of the 2 smallest markets in the NBA ??  It wasn't just the move, it was the explicit acknowledgement an MVP wasn't a "leadership" guy; beefing on Twitter against teenagers; and moreover, a reversal of personality that he had previously cultivated.  

 

Whether a player is a statesman (like Dirk), a joker (like Embiid), or a tough guy (like Artest), atleast theyre consistent in character.  People like people who are real.

 

So KD, like LeBron, as ultra talented stars, shoulder image problems entirely of their own making, and not from a singular move like swapping to 1 team

 

 

[hobbes2702 13029]

Why is there a question mark in the thread title?

[Patrick Bateman 3910]

3 minutes ago, 52-80 said:

KD and Westbrook went to the finals as 23 and 24 year olds.  In subsequent seasons one or the other were injured.  That run was not indicative of that squads ceiling.

 

Spurs weren't a finals write-in.  Their 3 turned 50 years old.  But they had a good system, and Kawhi was on a break-out, with another UT All Star joining.

 

Then there were speculations of going back to his hometown with JWall, or Boston, neither of which brought a seismic shock that GS did.  

 

With that, KD made himself one of the most polarizing stars across the NBA fanbase.  And people think his derision comes solely from a small pocket of the 2 smallest markets in the NBA ??  It wasn't just the move, it was the explicit acknowledgement an MVP wasn't a "leadership" guy; beefing on Twitter against teenagers; and moreover, a reversal of personality that he had previously cultivated.  

 

Whether a player is a statesman (like Dirk), a joker (like Embiid), or a tough guy (like Artest), atleast theyre consistent in character.  People like people who are real.

 

So KD, like LeBron, as ultra talented stars, shoulder image problems entirely of their own making, and not from a singular move like swapping to 1 team

 

 

What run wasn't indicative of their ceiling?  The Finals' Thunder had James Harden as 6th man of the year and an Ibaka who was a top 5 defensive force, before he decided he wanted to be a fake Bill Laimbeer.  They were too young at the time and faced what was probably the Heat's best team in Lebron's run w/ them.

KD was upfront he didn't want to go home to DC and didn't even give them a meeting, it would have been a nice narrative but it wasn't close to a reality.  If money wasn't an object, would you rather live in Boston or Bay area???  No need to answer if you've been to both.

Is anyone really disputing that KD is accountable for a large portion of his perception problems with the social media games?  Does that define him for you?  Or do you also see the 2nd best basketball player in the world right now?  What is the point of your post, to review what everyone knows?

11 minutes ago, hobbes2702 said:

Why is there a question mark in the thread title?

If you read the thread, it's quite obvious some don't feel he is.... the may be a vocal minority but they exist.

 

[naija 2854]

Durant invites his own dislike. The social media stuff was basically daring anyone to find him petty.

[aggie08 21481]

A petty professional athlete? No wai!

KD ain't the only athlete/celebrity with anonymous social media accounts to say the shit that he couldn't/wouldn't say with his name attached to it. Shit, isn't that what most of us are doing right now to an extent? And none of us (except the shaggy 1%) are public figures with a bunch of talking heads trying to write our narratives. Online anonymity is probably pretty refreshing for people like him to say anything about anything, and not have the national media dissect it for a change. He got caught, and thus deserved the ridicule, but let's be real here; he's not the only one--far from it--just the one that got caught.

Edited May 16, 2018 by aggie08

[BoomMF 1398]

The ratings suggest that you pussies who are mad about the Golden State 4-headed monster ruining the game have an opinion that is not shared by most.

KD til I die.

[Goo Punch 4275]

1 hour ago, naija said:

Durant invites his own dislike. The social media stuff was basically daring anyone to find him petty.

You talk about him like he’s Ron Artest or Marshall Henderson. People hate on KD harder and more personally than pretty much anyone else in the league. I can’t recall a player of his stature who ever received his much hate for such petty crimes as picking the wrong team and playing around on social media. And that’s in any sport. Not to mention that he’s a guy who is legitimately nice, who legitimately cares, and who makes a huge community impact by pourig millions of dollars into every community he finds himself living in. And yet people, including Texas fans, hate him more than they hate guys like Westbrook, Rondo, and Cousins. 

[52-80 19144]

2 hours ago, Patrick Bateman said:

What run wasn't indicative of their ceiling?  The Finals' Thunder had James Harden as 6th man of the year and an Ibaka who was a top 5 defensive force, before he decided he wanted to be a fake Bill Laimbeer.  They were too young at the time and faced what was probably the Heat's best team in Lebron's run w/ them.

KD was upfront he didn't want to go home to DC and didn't even give them a meeting, it would have been a nice narrative but it wasn't close to a reality.  If money wasn't an object, would you rather live in Boston or Bay area???  No need to answer if you've been to both.

Is anyone really disputing that KD is accountable for a large portion of his perception problems with the social media games?  Does that define him for you?  Or do you also see the 2nd best basketball player in the world right now?  What is the point of your post, to review what everyone knows?

Sorry - what startling revelation did you bring, or expect to be brought, to the table? 

On a message board, in a topic of your initiation, this alumnus' opinion is that: because he did not stay for long, nor take the team far, he falls short to guys like TJ Ford in terms of Longhorn Legend.  In the same way people recognize JJ Reddick as a Dukie, and Kyrie as Kyrie.

***

The OKC only had 2 clean runs in them.  Those 2012 starting 5 + Harden averaged 24 years old.  For comparison, the current playoffs Celtics starting group + Baynes is 26.5 years old.  Imagine someone bailing on that team now on account that they couldnt reach or win the Finals.

 

2 hours ago, aggie08 said:

KD ain't the only athlete/celebrity with anonymous social media accounts to say the shit that he couldn't/wouldn't say with his name attached to it. Shit, isn't that what most of us are doing right now to an extent? And none of us (except the shaggy 1%) are public figures with a bunch of talking heads trying to write our narratives. Online anonymity is probably pretty refreshing for people like him to say anything about anything, and not have the national media dissect it for a change. He got caught, and thus deserved the ridicule, but let's be real here; he's not the only one--far from it--just the one that got caught.

Noone claims otherwise.  His reputation is built from more than 1 data point.  What constitutes it now, and how its summed, is self-evident. 

One can be under intense media scrutiny, and still come out unscathed.  Steph's maintained his image fine.  The mythology of Kobe the Black Mamba outgrew Kobe the Rapist (which is obviously wayyy harder to shed than anything KD has had to deal with).  Even Lebron has gone a longgg longgg way by bringing a championship to Cleveland, and his otherworldly quality of play up to date, at his current age.  

If KD keeps stacking up rings by contributing 30ppg, his foremost legacy will be as the most effective scorer in league history.

But today, the bed he lays in is of his own making, and sure as hell not a mere contingent of UT/SA/OKC forum fans.

[usmc0331horn 953]

I don't even remotely get how anyone who calls themself a Longhorn fan or alum can hate on KD. The dude did what the vast majority of one and dones don't do which is to totally kickass and win NPOY. He reps UT all the time and comes back all the time. As a KU alum first and a UT grad student second I feel for him like I do for say Paul Pierce or Embiid from KU. Embiid didn't even play in the damn tournament because he was held out but I don't care in the least. He could join the Warriors because it's a better fit for him and I wouldn't care. Good for him.

[plvhorn 25]

For all the good he does on and off the court, I wish he were more confident in the decisions he’s made. He definitely comes across as angry and insecure in the podcasts he’s done with Bill Simmons. I get that none of us live under the microscope he does, but he’s on top of the world and got there by working hard. Who gives a shit what a few “blog boys” say about him?

[Huckleberry 32845]

KD is a HOF lock.  I’ll just say it’s nice to see some objective Longhorns.  
Well, I’ll say one more thing...As for the others, I can’t hate on supporting a loyal Horn.  

Objective? Lulz, what a load of shit. Every one of the posters you're calling objective is butthurt because the Spurs and/or Rockets have to play the Warriors. Seriously, as pointed out above, some idiots are acting like joining the Spurs would have been okay. The 5 time champs. But oh by the way they're that poster's favorite team.