The Grievance Police are out in force these days, especially in sports media. They’re ready to press charges if a player doesn’t talk, if a player does talk, and especially when a player speaks frankly.
The latest example: Kevin Durant.
A few days ago he was asked about the “boring” NBA playoffs. He observed that some years you have great series and lots of buzzer-beaters, and other years are like this one — lacking in drama.
“As players we want to go out there and win by as much as possible and play as great as you can,” Durant says. “Whatever happens with the score happens. We leave that to the fans who feel upset; if you don’t like it, don’t watch it.”
Nothing he said was untrue. We have free will as sports fans. It’s true to say the playoffs have been as entertaining as watching the teachers beat the kids in hoops on the last day of the elementary school year. (I hated that Mr. Woodburn, though middle-aged, was a 6-foot-8 and a devastating rim protector.)
It’s been a series of blowouts, because there are dominant teams in the West and East, the Warriors and Cavaliers. and a third contender (Spurs) lost their best player.
Durant was guilty of being candid, saying what was on his mind in an off-handed way. Needless to say, the hot-take apparatus in the national media, always ready to rip Durant and the Warriors, sprung into action.
“He’s aged. And along the process of aging, he’s gotten more arrogant, he’s gotten more disrespectful, he’s gotten more dismissive –particularly of the fans,” Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN’s “First Take.” “To be quite honest with you, he hasn’t gotten smarter. And the reason why he hasn’t gotten smarter is because the younger Durant never would have said something so flagrantly disrespectful toward the fans.”
The younger Durant was actually less interesting, wouldn’t say much. This year we’ve gotten to know him as a pretty thoughtful guy who has a low key sense of humor. He’s holding back less. I think that’s more interesting, for the media and the fans.
Durant wasn’t disrespecting fans, he is simply recognizing their freedom of choice. “Screw you if you don’t like it,” was not the message I received. All he did was correctly identify our possession of a remote clicker.
There are those who say, “he wouldn’t make tens of millions without people watching.” That’s true, but clearly people watch, and he knows it. Arrogance? I see it as correctly assessing the lay of the land. Anyway, what’s he supposed to do, miss shots on purpose so games are closer and we have fresh bread and circus?
His job is to be as entertaining as possible by playing the game at the highest level possible. To win for his teammates and his fans. It has been spectacular basketball. That’s pretty entertaining. Furthermore, he’s been good with the media here and to my knowledge, equally good with fans.
So there aren’t many close games but the Warriors have consistently been ratings winners. People appreciate greatness, and their style of play. It’s not Durant’s job to sell the games beyond his best effort on the court, then answer a few questions, make a few appearances. Nothing else he has done would indicate he disrespects NBA fans.
He’d be disingenuous if he overplayed the postseason drama for the league’s sake or for the sake of sparing feelings. Nonetheless, the word apparently got down to him and prior to Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals, he tried to clarify.
Durant said “I mean, life can be simple, man. If you don’t like the way the game is going, just turn it off. If you’re enjoying it, just keep it on. Life is simple. I didn’t mean to disrespect anybody but if you felt disrespected I’m sorry. But if you don’t enjoy the game, turn it off (and) turn something else on. If you do, enjoy the rest of it, man.”
It was the classic apology that wasn’t an apology, but it didn’t need to be an apology in the first place.
If the Warriors are able to finish their postseason run with a trophy, they’ll be memorable. Nobody will be talking about the dull preliminary rounds. Nobody. Durant shouldn’t be sorry if they’re great. Life can be simple, man.
