Kevin Durant is one of the best players in the league, if not in history and it’s hard to dispute. According to a trainer, one detail makes him particularly scary for his opponents… it must be said that he contributed to his nickname of Slim Reaper.
Few players in the NBA are so divisive as Kevin Durant. The Nets superstar is regularly controversial because of his mentality, especially with regard to the way he conducts his career. His departure for the Warriors in 2016, as well as his request for a trade this summer, earned him a lot of criticism, with some no longer hesitating to devalue him in all areas, including on the court.
Yet despite his 2021-22 playoffs having been a miss, the league’s four-time leading scorer remains one of the most terrifying players in the world when he steps on the pitch. No wonder when you have more than 25,000 career points! More than his production, it is the way in which he puts on the baskets and above all, his attitude as an ice cream man that marks the spirits. A coach had given the following speech to his players a few years ago, highlighting the killer side of the person concerned:
Kevin Durant, the silent assassin
Do you know why Kevin Durant scares me? Because when Durant scores, he says nothing. He doesn’t excite anyone. He’s not trying to piss off or inflate a LeBron James, he just scored on his opponent, like that, remaining silent. The only thing he does at the end of the game is kiss his mom, hug his brothers, and then it’s over. Game-over.
If the double NBA champion has been nicknamed the Slim Reaper, it is not only because he has a slender physique but also because he is one of the greatest assassins in the history of this sport. No need to provoke his opponents, under these conditions… Nevertheless, the coach puts forward another argument to highlight the 2014 MVP, namely the reasons why he gives everything on the field. Again, it’s classy:
The first thing he does when he enters the field is touch the numbers on the front and back of his jersey (the number 35 before going to the Nets, editor’s note). Who is he doing this for? This is in tribute to which coach? It’s for one of his coaches who was killed. His coach died at what age? What KD number does it have? Do you have the answer. There’s a reason behind his decisions, he’s not just playing to win titles.
It is indeed all in the honor of Durantula, even if it will not allow him to increase his rating with his detractors. For that, it would be better if he let go of a berserk 2022-23 campaign, knowing that he’s probably going to have to stay in Brooklyn for this one. The good news is that sulking on the court is not in his style, because he loves the game too much for that. We are therefore entitled to expect him to put the gum.
We may not appreciate the personality of Kevin Durant vis-à-vis his career choices, but it is indisputable that this is a great basketball player. And his way of paying homage to his loved ones can hardly be criticized either.