It is often difficult for a NBA player who was selected second overall in the draft, then named Rookie of the Year, to meet the ensuing expectations of greatness placed upon him. It's even harder when you add to that a sixth-place rank in league scoring in his second year, consistently being mentioned in All-Star discussions and being the most talked-about player at the last summer's Team USA mini-camp. Welcome to the life of Kevin Durant, who just entered his third year in the league, and who, at only 21-years-old, has already become the leader of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
After just one year playing for the University of Texas, 6'9" Durant entered his name into the draft among rumblings that he was too skinny and too weak to be a success at the highest level of basketball. He set his goals and has been working hard since his first day on the job to prove the doubters wrong.
"I just wanted to get better as the season went along," Durant tells HOOPSWORLD. "I didn't have a number of points I wanted to score, any rebounds, I just wanted to get better and stick. I just wanted to stay a part of this league as long as possible. I didn't want to be one of those guys that got lost in this league."
During his first year, Durant averaged 20.3 ppg, 4.4 rebounds at 43% field-goal shooting and 28.8% beyond the arc. Durant improved by impressive measures in his second year, averaging 25.3 ppg, 6.5 boards and 47.6% field-goal and a whopping 42.2% in three-point shooting. His ability to play at an all-star level has earned the admiration of his coaches and teammates. Not only has he accepted the challenge of playing at this level, he has embraced it.
"There's not a lot of guys who can do what he does offensively," explains Thunder Coach Scott Brooks. "He scores in so many different spots. You challenge Kevin, and he accepts challenges. Rebounding the basketball is one of the challenges we put on him last year. We told him we wanted him to increase that, and he's doing a great job of that. I don't know if he can continue to go 11-12 boards a night, but we want him to be focused on the defensive end and engage in that area. We don't have that dominant rebounder where we're going to come in and get 14 or 15 boards a night by one person and that's fine. We have a team that rebounds together and we have to do that and Kevin is accepting that responsibility to be one of those five defensive rebounders."
{AUTHOR_BOX}"I think he's doing well," adds Jeff Green, his teammate of two seasons. "It could be a lot of pressure on a lot of guys. He's come in and worked his butt off. He's doing well. He's pushing our team to get better and I think he's doing a great job at that."
Fellow teammates and coaches have witnessed Durant's maturation as both a player and leader of his team.
"The leadership is obviously improving," notes Brooks. "I think it's pretty impossible to lead as a rookie, you know, a couple years back for him. And each year, he's understanding that role more, and it's something you have to go through. You can't just say read a book or talk to an ex-player and understand that. We have to do it together, and he has to see it and go through all those experiences, and I think that's what's happening. I see it and the players are understanding, and we all see it, and he has to continue to focus on being that guy. When you're a leader of the team, you can't just focus totally on just your own game. You have to take yourself out of your own little world and focus on the team, and he's done a great job of that."
"It's just the hard work he's been putting in each summer," agrees Green. "I've been working out with him the last two summers. We're from the same area. I see and understand what he's going through. He's been doing well with all the pressure that's behind him and all the expectations a lot of people have put on him, but he's hold to his own, and I think he's going to continue to get better.
"I think he's just scratching the surface of what he's capable of doing."
Durant's play on the court garners the respect of his teammates, who appreciate his leadership style.
"Leading by actions," said Green, explaining how Durant leads his team. "Going out there and working hard every night – he gives it all he's got. That's what you expect out of a leader. You don't want a leader that's going to go in and not play and give it his all, so I think he's doing a great job of playing every game hard and leading by his actions."
Praises of Durant's special skills are not just limited to those seeing him day-in and day-out in Oklahoma City, but are given from those on competing teams as well.
"He keeps improving," said Blazers coach Nate McMillan. "I've seen him a lot with the Olympic team, playing there...a talent. They're (the Thunder) putting him all over the floor - pick-and-rolls, isolations, transitions - and he's been able to put up some big numbers."
"I always knew he was going to be good in the NBA," fellow University of Texas alum LaMarcus Aldridge said of Durant. "I was in a similar situation because people said I was too thin, too small to be a post player and things like that. I knew personally that he would do well, but I think he's proved to everybody that it doesn't matter if you're 210 or 240 (pounds) as long as you have heart and you play hard, you can be successful."
Durant opens up about self-confidence issues he has dealt with, both on and off the court, and he credits his teammates with helping him through it.
"It's matter of me gaining confidence in my game and with myself. I've always doubted myself or (been) a little bit more nervous...you know, just doubting myself in general," shares Durant. "I stopped doing that toward the end of my rookie year and last year to this year, and that's given me confidence. My teammates always give me confidence by passing the ball to me all the time, so that makes me feel good as well. I just love playing with these guys, you know, it makes me feel good as a player. They make me better, so I'm just happy that I'm here."
He's pleased about realizing certain goals he set for himself when he started in the league, but Durant is not interested in speculating if others believe he's meeting expectations or not.
"I don't know; that's for everyone else to decide. I think I've gotten better and that's the part I wanted to accomplish is to always get better from each year to year, add something to my game…just do the things the organization wants me to do as a player. If I continue to do that, the sky's the limit for me."
Most would agree that the sky is the limit for Kevin Durant, a player who always seeks to improve his already-enviable skills. It's no doubt a challenge to lead a young team with a roster full of new players, but Durant stands more than ready to take on the task.
