Why no love for KD here?

Discussion in 'Men’s Basketball' started by giveemhell, Jun 12, 2019.

  1. giveemhell

    giveemhell 1,000+ Posts

    Kevin Durant has been one of the greatest ambassadors of all time for the University of Texas, and up until a few weeks ago many considered him to be the best basketball player on the planet, yet not a peep about him here on Hornfans throughout the playoffs or after his devastating injury. Why is that?
     
  2. 4th_floor

    4th_floor Dude, where's my laptop?

    The 1 and done thing probably.
     
  3. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    He was on campus for a grand total of about 4 months and our entire program is a $hit show. He was a good player for the 35 games he played but honestly I don't really think of him that much as a Longhorn. Ambassador or not what has he done for us to really care about him?
     
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  4. old65horn

    old65horn 1,000+ Posts

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    Last edited: Jun 14, 2019
  5. caryhorn

    caryhorn 5,000+ Posts

    KD has been supportive of UT at every opportunity; showing love by showing up, flashing Horns, wearing UT stuff, giving money, etc.

    I love KD, and why not. He's always behaved as a stand up guy, doing the right thing with class; and being a fine representative for The University. Above all, he is an excellent human being.

    Wishing him a full and speedy recovery. :hookem2:
     
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  6. Vol Horn 4 Life

    Vol Horn 4 Life Good Bye To All The Rest!

    I'll clarify first that I don't dislike KD...have nothing against the guy. The question was why no one is talking about him and my point was he was here for 35 games and a few months.

    The $3mil donation is awesome because I think that's the largest donation by a former athlete back to the program. National player of the year is more his award not for the university. I guess we have a trophy, but it really doesn't do anything for us.

    I guess it boils down to he wore a Longhorn jersey for a few months, won some awards and left. Is it cool to say the best player in the NBA played for Texas? Yes! Do I really think about him as a Longhorn? Not really.
     
  7. giveemhell

    giveemhell 1,000+ Posts

    Our basketball program may be a **** show, but I'm not sure what that has to do with KD. I can't think of anyone other than TJ Ford who's contributed more to the program after his time here:
    Shaka Smart expands on Kevin Durant’s impact on Texas basketball
     
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  8. Tico

    Tico 25+ Posts

    There's not much love for the BB program on this board at all. The women's BB board has constant traffic
     
  9. Sangre Naranjada

    Sangre Naranjada 10,000+ Posts

    That's just because those people love to have a never ending stream of slap fights with one another.
     
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  10. zuckercanyon

    zuckercanyon 2,500+ Posts

    Without Kevin Durant, Golden State is a toss up for the title. That's my props to him....he's the difference maker....and they lost without him....
     
  11. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    I'm a huge fan of Kevin Durant. Watch him as much as possible, and pull for the teams he plays for. Very much so because he went to UT. Also, he seems to be a good guy. Also, he plays a style of basketball I like. I remember seeing him in a HS all-star game and pulling for him just because he was going to come to Texas.

    As for the Longhorn team being bad, and that leading to HornFans not talking basketball much, I agree, that's probably the reason.
     
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  12. humahuma

    humahuma 1,000+ Posts

    I am a huge KD fan when he was at UT, I pretty stopped watching NBA years ago, so I didn't even know he was hurt. Speedy recovery KD.
     
  13. Joe Fan

    Joe Fan 10,000+ Posts

    I was not sure what he would do about this -- player option for $31+M, knowing he will not play a minute in the upcoming season.
    (1) Maybe he really does hate playing with those guys?; and/or
    (2) His agent must have convinced him there is an even bigger payday out there

     
  14. Joe Fan

    Joe Fan 10,000+ Posts

    When he first came out, despite the one-and-done aspect, he was still a great rep for UT- all the way into that MVP acceptance speech where he credited his mom as the real MVP (2014). Everyone in the entire world loved that. And it was a pretty good moment for the UT program even if only indirectly. But it has been a mostly downhill slide for KD ever since at least in terms of public perception.

    This clip below demonstrates part of it -- Peyton Manning hosting the ESPY's back in 2017. Listen for the derisive laughter as the camera zeroes in on him, then Westbrook. And that audience is mostly people in the industry (fellow athletes + media). You can tell public sentiment towards him had changed as of that moment. But besides leaving for GSW, other things have happened as well -- for example, he was busted creating multiple sock accounts on twitter (and perhaps other sites) where he defended/supported himself while pretending to be someone else. That was not a good look. And now it seems like he cant get along with anyone - this is the second good team he has voluntarily left. It's not like he is going to join the Kicks to win a championship. Or anywhere else.

    Maybe the Lakers in 2 years? If they could make the money fit, which is highly dubious, they could have a Big 3 of Lebron/Kwahi/KD. But I cant see any of those 3 taking a $ discount. Plus Lebron would be 36 for the 2020-21 season and KD would be 32, coming off achilles surgery. That sounds like a disaster waiting to happen. But we will see.

     
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    Last edited: Jun 26, 2019
  15. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    $30 million might not have been enough to put up with Curry. He wants to play with either Brooklyn or NY. Either just might be stupid/crazy enough to give him $35-40 million per season injured or not. Which brings the question of who pays him while he is hurt? GS will have to pay the workers' compensation, but that will not even pay his gas bill for a year.
     
  16. VYFan

    VYFan 2,500+ Posts

    Could be insurance but they might rightfully note that he just turned down $30 m.
     
  17. Joe Fan

    Joe Fan 10,000+ Posts

    Brooklyn Horns holla - KD joins Jarrett Allen
    From pretenda to contenda -- especially in the pathetic East
     
    Last edited: Jun 30, 2019
  18. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    20-21 maybe.
     
  19. theiioftx

    theiioftx Sponsor Deputy

    I honestly don’t follow the NBA anymore. This was a good write up though.

    Friends, money, or fame?
    Good morning,

    This is a story about the NBA, a renowned Harvard study on happiness, and what you should think about if you're ever offered millions of dollars. Basketball fans might already know what I'm talking about, but if you don't follow the league, I’ll catch you up:

    • The current class of NBA free agents is one of the most talented and sought-after in recent memory. Dozens of players signed contracts on Sunday, which was the first day they were eligible.
    • Kevin Durant, the 30-year-old 10-time All-Star and former league MVP who won two NBA championships with the Golden State Warriors, signed with the Brooklyn Nets.
    • The deal was a stunner because the Nets barely won more games than they lost last season. The guaranteed money was significantly less than he was offered to play elsewhere.
    • Durant won’t even be able to play during the 2019-2020 season, due to an Achilles tendon injury suffered during the recent NBA finals.
    Durant signed for $164 million over four years -- obviously a lot of money, but $57 million less than the $221 million over five years he could have had by staying with the Warriors. He also spurned the New York Knicks and Los Angeles Clippers.

    As the Washington Post notes, that means he turned down the most money and best shot at another championship (the Warriors), the biggest platform forhis off-court platform (the Knicks), and a chance at "palm trees and a functional organization from top to bottom" (the Clippers) -- all in a single day.

    So why'd he choose the Nets? According to the Post, it's the answer that the world's most successful and happiest people will understand:
    The Nets ... ranked last in home attendance in 2018-19, held the NBA's worst record two years ago and have never won a title. Durant ... was able to look past that lack of history and visibility because he will be joined by Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan, his close friends and former USA Basketball teammates.

    In short, it seems like Durant chose to play with his friends. And while that might seem sentimental, or even short-sighted, it's the choice that science would advise.

    For example: the Study of Adult Development at Harvard Medical School, which tracked 724 men -- 268 Harvard graduates and 456 less-privileged men who grew up in Boston at the same time -- for roughly eight decades. It found a simple prescription for how the most successful people ultimately find happiness. As the current head of the study, Robert J. Waldinger, famously put it:
    The lessons aren't about wealth or fame or working harder and harder. The clearest message that we get from this 75-year study is this: Good relationships keep us happier and healthier. Period.

    A year ago, just before winning his second title with the Warriors, Durant gave an interview.. "After winning that championship (last season)," he told ESPN, "I learned that much hadn't changed. I thought it would fill a certain [void]. It didn't."

    With his year out due to injury, Durant will have to wait an entire season to learn how this works out. But it seems the odds are good for him -- at least in terms of his personal health, happiness, and success.


     
  20. Joe Fan

    Joe Fan 10,000+ Posts

    Why do 9 out of every 10 elite free agent NBA players insist on moving to the Western Conference?

    The Nets in the Finals has been as crazy idea as any, for many years. But now it looks like they have a shot with KD (where they would be swept). I guess the Bucks would still be favored to win the Eastern Conference, then Brooklyn will be in the mix with Boston/Philly.

    [​IMG]
     
    Last edited: Jul 6, 2019
  21. Statalyzer

    Statalyzer 10,000+ Posts

    I appreciate how he seems to genuinely feel like a part of UT, loves the school, and doesn't just think of Texas as some place he was stuck for a year because a rule said he had to be stuck somewhere.

    It's been hard to like him lately just because he's been so damn sensitive about everything. If you care that much what people think and can't handle being criticized, then do something more likable. If you want to do things you know will get you loudly criticized (e.g .joining a team that went 73-9 without you and just knocked you out of the playoffs even though you were up 3 games to 1 on them), then just own it and ignore the critics.
     
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  22. Joe Fan

    Joe Fan 10,000+ Posts

    But .... his new shoe is not so bad (the KD X Texas Basketball PE)
    [​IMG]
     
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  23. ViperHorn

    ViperHorn 10,000+ Posts

    Much better than the last effort from Nike earlier in the summer.
     
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