Kevin Durant: My Actual Basketball Play Is Now Taking Over Headlines For First Time This Season

[RealGM Wiretap]

Kevin Durant scored 38 points in a return to form performance in Game 3 as the Golden State Warriors defeated the Los Angeles Clippers.

“This was the first time this season that my actual basketball play, and not about what I’m going to do in the future, took over the headlines,” Durant told Yahoo Sports after Game 3. “Think about that now. That hasn’t happened in a long time. I like that. That’s the way it should be.”

Speculation on Durant's future has dominated headlines this season, particularly after he avoided the media for more than a week and then called out Ethan Strauss of The Athletic. The media, however, has mostly avoided asking Durant questions about his future.

“This game is what it’s all about, not about something that hasn’t even happened,” Durant told Yahoo Sports. “Let’s enjoy basketball. I can take the criticism about the game. This is what we’re paid to do. That should be the focus. This is good.”

Via Chris Haynes/Yahoo! Sports

[DannyAingeIsGod]

Is Kraft Dinner still crying? Shocker. You should have known nobody liked you the second you showed how weak you are. You destroy the sport many of us used to love. You make $30m/season.. shut the f up crybaby bit ch.

[alienpick]

If you can’t stand media now, just wait until you go New York. They eat cupcakes like you for breakfast Toughen up.

[23artest23]

He has chose for things to be the way they have. He could simply say I'm resigning, I'm leaving, or anything else concrete...he chose not to and has been bugged about it all year. With that said, not a chance he stays. Being that the media has been such a bother to him, I'm confident he would have said he was staying if that were the case.

[doordoor123]

During the season reporters have nothing else to talk about. Now it’s the playoffs and every game matters. So having games that matter means a lot to reporters.

[logical_art]

Yet again KD caring about what people think so much.

[MartyConlonJr]

From the guy that made the off season more interesting than the season

[Cookin Baskets]

If you can’t stand media now, just wait until you go New York. They eat cupcakes like you for breakfast Toughen up.

One is he is not playing for the Knicks lol and 2nd the media is utter nonsense. Talk about the game and not that other bull. They talk about free agency way too much. He's handling it just fine, he's not getting upset he just pointing out the media actually covering the game for once. As a fan all this talk is bothersome. New York is so tough in the media they ask the tough questions,if you can't handle it they will make you cry like school girl lol. New York needs to be tougher on James Dolan okay. If Durant played for the sorry knicks they should be thankful any superstar wants to play for that god awful franchise.

[dougthonus]

He has chose for things to be the way they have. He could simply say I'm resigning, I'm leaving, or anything else concrete...he chose not to and has been bugged about it all year. With that said, not a chance he stays. Being that the media has been such a bother to him, I'm confident he would have said he was staying if that were the case.

Not a fan of any team he's got any chance of ending up on (including GS), but I wouldn't be so sure about that yet. There is certainly a lot of smoke there, but at some point, he's really going to have to put pen to paper and decide he cares more about something other than winning titles.

His best bet to win titles by a pretty big margin is to stay where he is. Maybe like the rest of us, he's growing bored with how easy it is. Maybe he wants a bigger share of the credit than he can ever get in GS. However, maybe not. If he stays, and if they can keep that core together, then GS has a good shot of winning another 3 titles after this season. Even if they screw up one year, it is pretty easy to see them winning 3 of the next 4.

They will get harder as guys age, and some year they'll have a major injury or something, but they would have the chance to sit up there with the Bulls and Celtics as the greatest teams ever in terms of winning so many rings in one era, and if they can win four more total (counting this year), GS can surpass the Bulls.

For someone thinking about their long term legacy, I'd think eventually the way he got there won't matter. 20 years from now, if GS won 7 rings, people will just talk about them as one of the greatest teams ever assembled and speak of the core guys as some of the greatest players ever assembled. It doesn't feel like it now, but it will change the conversation of who is better between KD and LeBron if he won four more rings total and had 6 to LeBron's 3.

If he's not completely aware of the above, it seems exceedingly likely when he really has to sit down and think about it, that he will realize it. At that point, maybe he will still decide to shoot for a lower percentage but greater glory and win a title in NY or some other city (at which point, I think his legacy would also be amazingly enhanced to an incredible state). The only thing that hurts his legacy a bit is if he keeps winning titles in GS that Curry will always have one more ring, but so far Durant has all the Finals MVPs so I don't think that will matter so much.

[KevinMcreynolds]

If you can’t stand media now, just wait until you go New York. They eat cupcakes like you for breakfast Toughen up.

yeah, watch out for Stefan Bondy and Marc Berman! They'll tear your heart out!

The New York media thing is such a dated cliche. The reason they used to say that is because at times NY teams would have 20-30 beat writers. Like in 1961 when Maris was chasing the HR record. That kind of coverage hasn't existed in at least 20 years.

[chuscradle]

KD just don't seem to get it, for a good player to play good is worth to be part of the news, but that's no headline. Him moving to a bottom feeder would certainly make everybody wanting to know more about it, reason is why it makes the headlines.

Or he can just play trash for his play making to be part of the headlines.

[Vegeta10176]

If you can’t stand media now, just wait until you go New York. They eat cupcakes like you for breakfast Toughen up.

One is he is not playing for the Knicks lol and 2nd the media is utter nonsense. Talk about the game and not that other bull. They talk about free agency way too much. He's handling it just fine, he's not getting upset he just pointing out the media actually covering the game for once. As a fan all this talk is bothersome. New York is so tough in the media they ask the tough questions,if you can't handle it they will make you cry like school girl lol. New York needs to be tougher on James Dolan okay. If Durant played for the sorry knicks they should be thankful any superstar wants to play for that god awful franchise.

Yes he gets upset hence burner accounts.. He also can't take critism on his game as he claims of your remember the whole OKC unreliable KD article he made the apologize for.. And he needs to put on his big boy pants as one of the best players in the league your next destination clearly New York unless he chickens out is a big topic..

[Vegeta10176]

During the season reporters have nothing else to talk about. Now it’s the playoffs and every game matters. So having games that matter means a lot to reporters.

Also by his standards his season was nothing special to talk about he was .5 playing without Curry which was notable.. He averaged 27 effienctly but when you can't be double teamed it's expected.. He didn't do much in the season to warrant talking about more than his impending free agency.. And he does not have too as he is on the most stacked team of all time

[Cookin Baskets]

If you can’t stand media now, just wait until you go New York. They eat cupcakes like you for breakfast Toughen up.

One is he is not playing for the Knicks lol and 2nd the media is utter nonsense. Talk about the game and not that other bull. They talk about free agency way too much. He's handling it just fine, he's not getting upset he just pointing out the media actually covering the game for once. As a fan all this talk is bothersome. New York is so tough in the media they ask the tough questions,if you can't handle it they will make you cry like school girl lol. New York needs to be tougher on James Dolan okay. If Durant played for the sorry knicks they should be thankful any superstar wants to play for that god awful franchise.

Yes he gets upset hence burner accounts.. He also can't take critism on his game as he claims of your remember the whole OKC unreliable KD article he made the apologize for.. And he needs to put on his big boy pants as one of the best players in the league your next destination clearly New York unless he chickens out is a big topic..

http://www.espn.com/nba/playoffs/2014/story/_/id/10868089/mr-unreliable-headline-daily-oklahoman-kevin-durant-oklahoma-city-thunder-causes-stir

I'm sorry your talking about a 2014 article that was clearly wrong. 2014 when he was still with the Thunder really irrelevant now. If the media runs with bull stories then they should apologize. I had to look it up, I sure as hell didn't remember. He should stay in Golden State and he will. 100% percent guarantee he is not playing for the sorry ass KNICKS. You can quote me and show me if I'm wrong. Every player with a brain will "Chicken" out of the New York Knicks. I love talking about this, so I can just take shots at how bad the knicks have been the past decade or longer.

[big_hump]

It's more interesting to talk about him leaving... The NBA isn't worth watching right now. The NBA will write a rule to fix weak moves like that again. Don't know why him and others think him joining that team was cool.