“Psych!” -Kevin Durant, probably.
Kevin Durant’s relationship with the media has, by many appearances, deteriorated quickly. He has gone from lovably infallible to ostensibly agitated. At last year’s All-Star festivities, when commenting on the job security of now-former head coach Scott Brooks, he claimed the media didn’t know shit. Most recently, he implied that the media was to blame for the general public not looping his Oklahoma City Thunder into the same tier as the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Here’s Royce Young of ESPN.com with the sound bite:
Kevin Durant talked about why he thinks the Thunder aren't being talked about with the Warriors, Spurs and Cavs: pic.twitter.com/aLVoQkYTxw
— Royce Young (@royceyoung) January 16, 2016
Kevin Durant tried to put distance between himself and those comments on Sunday, explaining that he actually loves the media and is just trying to give them, to give us, what they, what we, want.
From the Oklahoman‘s Erik Horne:
I also have something else to say, if you guys don’t mind. I was talking to Matty earlier and I’ve seen over the last couple days – couple of years, actually – that I hate the media. I actually do love you guys. If I hated someone I wouldn’t talk to them. I wouldn’t interact with them. I wouldn’t laugh and joke with them. I wouldn’t talk with them about anything other than what you guys ask me. When I disagree, that doesn’t mean that I hate you guys, so … my whole deal is to spark a conversation and hopefully we can talk about the topic, or whatever it is at hand we can talk about, and we all can grow from it. That’s my whole deal.
“I know I’m not necessarily talking to all you guys – all you guys with all these mics here. My whole thing is when I disagree that doesn’t mean I hate you, that just means … what you guys really wanted is someone who’s open and honest with you and who’s opinionated and that’s who I am. I haven’t changed, I’m the same person. I just grew as a man. Hopefully you just appreciate it and know that I don’t hate you. That’s a harsh word and my mom never brought me up to be a hater of anyone. I always believe that if I’m open and honest and opinionated that I can grow as a person and hopefully you can learn that’s what I’m about, and hopefully you all can get better. The main goal is to help the fans know the game a little bit more than they know today, so that’s my goal and hopefully that’s your goal instead of getting headlines and clicks. That’s my take on it, that’s the last time I’ll talk about it, but I had something I had to get off my chest. I appreciate it.”
That Durant addressed the situation unprompted is classic Durant, who genuinely seems like an awesome dude. But his explanation doesn’t really make sense when referencing, specifically, what he said to the media in New York at the 2015 All-Star Weekend.
So his view of the media at large remains indistinct. Maybe these verbal run-ins are just the product of impulsive frustration. Maybe he’s pissed about the last few years, about the injuries, about the absence of a ring, about the way San Antonio and Golden State has seized control of what was supposed to be Oklahoma City’s conference. Maybe dealing with the media on a daily basis, a genuinely tough task, is just exhausting sometimes.
Maybe he really does despise the media.
Maybe he doesn’t.
No one, even after Durant’s weekend backtrack, truly knows.
