Update: Shepard A. Smith admitted today (10-2-2015) that his story about Kevin Durant and a possible move to LA was made up by him. The fact of the matter is that KD and his brother called Smith out, calling him a liar…..Smith, in this case, is baseless and just tried to start something up. Making news is not the job of a commentator. Right now, I have little respect for him…………
Regarding @KDTrey5 and his negative comments about me, let me say this: At NO time did I ever say I SPOKE to K.D. Or his family. Or his brother, friends, teammates, etc. (although I can assure you all I have on several occasions in the past). I said I HEARD from folks I know — in a league I’ve been covering for 19 years — that if he were to leave OKC as a free agent, these are the cities I was told he was considering. OKC. LA. Miami. DC. NY. I stand by it all. And that is that.
His assertion that I was lying is not only FALSE, but totally uncalled for. Especially from a player who receives nothing but praise not only from me, but from practically every media member you can find. Yet, for some reason, we’re all the same folks who don’t know *&%$ about the game of basketball. Whose thoughts he could give a &^%$ about. Essentially, individuals he wishes he’d never have to talk to…..that he’s being forced to tolerate…..as if someone has done something to him…..OF ALL PEOPLE!
Don’t know what has happened to Mr. Durant over the years. But I know this much: We all win with his return, because he is an absolute superstar. The NBA is better with him. We’re all at a loss without him.
It just appears that @KDTrey5 needs to learn something about today’s world in professional sports:
We don’t have to talk TO HIM to talk ABOUT HIM!
Folks like ME will still be here. Watching! Listening! Waiting! Reporting!
Whether he likes it or not. While he’s here and long after he’s gone.
Time to get use to it.
Last night, commentator Stephen A. Smith told his viewers/listeners that he had heard that Kevin Durant will unite with the young talent in Los Angeles (Lakers) next year if he decides to leave OKC for another place to play. He (Smith) tends to believe it and it could happen. If you hear from Kevin Durant on the subject KD will tell you not to listen to anyone this season on his free agency this summer unless it is from the Thunder PR manager, his agent, or his manager.
KD: Along with Matty Ice [Thunder PR man Matt Tumbleson], I’ve got two people that I trust with my life, my agent and my manager, who’s my best friend as well. I trust them with my life. So if you hear sources or anything, don’t believe it if it didn’t come from them. I tell them everything. We bounce ideas off each other. We collaborate on a lot of different things. They give me advice. so throughout this year, if you hear sources from anybody, it’s not true, unless you hear it from Charlie Bell, Rich Kleiman or Kevin Durant.
With that, all the crap that is put into the media on Kevin’s place of employment next year is just that, crap, unless you hear it from one the three people KD says it would come from, or himself personally.
Will Kevin Durant’s humongous 10 year deal with Nike, worth anywhere from $250-325 million keep the wunderkind from bolting from the Oklahoma City Thunder next Summer? Or will he take his game to another city to pursue a championship in a new location, molding a team, aka James? The signing of the contract nixes the possible move from Nike to Under Armor giving the Swoosh KD’s brand to the world and would have made the Thunder second in salary payments to him for the foreseeable future, except for the possible expanded NBA salaries, which we can only speculate on. Will Nike want KD in a bigger market in a year to push the brand on a larger scale than what he can accomplish at a small market team such as Oklahoma City? Speculation is yes, quite possibly, but decisions to be made in the months to come will have to take into account KD’s love of his current teammates and his loyalty to either Oklahoma, hometown Washington DC area, or other promising venues.
What will Durant’s agent Jay-Z recommend and will he follow his advice? All these things come into play and the decision will become more intense as this season plays out. From this writer’s perspective, living in the Oklahoma City market, and being around Kevin’s movements, activities, and statements, anything is possible but a move, not probable.
Durant’s first goal, he would tell you, as he has told the world, is to win an NBA title. Currently, he has that opportunity to do so where he is, OKC. Teammates Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka are players that give him as good a chance to win in OKC as any he will find elsewhere. The key ingredients have been added for 2015, including a new coach, a new offensive scorer at center, and some new young blood that were drafted this past spring.
KD is the face of the Thunder organization. He loves the quiet of OKC. He can go to Bricktown, in walking distance and enjoy the evening without fanfare, eating at his own restaurant or take a steak at a world class eatery. Same with the shopping mall any other place in the OKC area. No public hassle. He can ride his bike in obscurity, take a short trip to Norman or Stillwater to watch a college game of his beloved Texas Longhorns, or walk into a NAIA gym and mingle with the small crowd and enjoy the game. Things he can do in OKC you can forget about it in say a New York City. KD, again, will tell you he loves the non-hustle and bustle of his adopted city. He loves the sold-out crowds of every game at the Peak. He loves the never a negative boo while playing there. Hell, he hasn’t heard one negative word from any Thunder fan since playing here. He has the support of not just basketball fans of OKC but every living soul in the state of Oklahoma. He IS the face of Oklahoma, the whole dang state. That would change if he leaves. KD would be the face of whatever he sold, not the face of how he lives. His persona would be that of a LaBron James. That’s not all bad but why be someone else when you can be yourself, an original.
KD will have many things to consider if he takes foot to another city. That, right now, is not of his nature. Things can change in a season. If OKC wins a title, KD will be a Thunder until he can’t play. The Thunder would never cut him, just as LAL has honored Kobe. Once the face of OKC, always the face of OKC. Yes, the Thunder might not win it all and that changes the game. But the question has to be asked. Can he put together a better team somewhere else? Westbrook is good for two more years and if KD did bolt the greatest athlete (Westbrook) in the Association becomes de facto #1, at least for a year. Yes, Russell could take his game home to LA which would be a stronger possibility if KD is gone next summer. Yet, those two love each other, as KD loves all his teammates. Remember his MVP speech? Genuine and from the heart. Hell, with the money KD is going to make in the next ten years if he wanted to own an NBA franchise (Michael) he could get one in time. At least a part of one, a significant part.
The stakes are enormous for his decision. It won’t be easy but in the long run it will be a matter of why KD is who he is. Money won’t be the final driving point. KD wants to win but he also wants to be significant. He is in OKC with a smile on his face. That is the driving point. Personal happiness along with satisfaction and respect is all KD desires. OKC and KD both get it.
