Sports are a way of life for many. They also exist in an alternate dimension stuck somewhere between fiction and reality.
We — fans and media — obsess over athletes who don’t know a single thing about most of us. We create narratives and assign motivations to people who then have to proceed accordingly, regardless of whether such storylines are actually rooted in reality.
Sure, there are exceptions, like the time LeBron James famously reminded fans he’s really rich and most of his critics are not. But for the most part, athletes are willing to go along with the illusion that they respect the opinions of fans and media, as if to not upset the order of their multibillion dollar industry they profit off of.
And then there’s Kevin Durant.
As you’ve likely seen by now, the 2014 NBA MVP celebrated the U.S. men’s national basketball team’s come-from-behind victory over Serbia On Thursday by going on an all-time social media spree . Durant’s social media posts ranged from 5 a.m. local time in Paris to 8 a.m. ET, with the 14-time All-Star taking aim at the mindset of many sports fans.
Durant initially took issue with American sports fans who were rooting for Denver Nuggets/Serbia star Nikola Jokić against Team USA, but his thoughts later expanded to the state of sports fandom at large.
Well then.
This is the part where I’m supposed to rip Durant for his indifference — if not outright disdain — for sports fans.
“How dare you not appreciate the people who help make your multimillion dollar paychecks possible?,” I should write.
“How are fans not a part of ‘the brotherhood’ when we live with the wins and losses too?,” I should question.
“My takes do matter,” I should — OK, well that one I actually believe.
But while ripping Durant for taking aim at sports fans is what any self-respecting old timey columnist would do — and perhaps for good reason — I can’t help but find myself enjoying the two-time NBA Finals MVP sharing his unfiltered opinion. Most athletes would sit this one out or give a politically correct response about admiring the passion of fans and respecting their opinions. Durant, meanwhile is letting you know how he — and likely many of his peers — actually feel.
That’s not to say I agree (or disagree) with him, but in a sports world that feels increasingly inauthentic, Durant breaking the fourth wall is undeniably a breath of fresh air. Look no further than Adrian Wojnarowski’s coverage of the Los Angeles Lakers’ “pursuit” of Dan Hurley earlier this summer. We all knew what the deal was . But most were willing to go along with the façade because it helped fill hours, wordcounts and, well, that’s just the way the sports world works.
That’s not the case, however, for Durant, who has always been online but seems especially online during these Olympics for whatever reason. On the verge of becoming the first male athlete in Olympic history to win four gold medals in a team sport, Durant is commemorating the occasion in a manner nobody would have expected him to.
Considering his willingness to defy the expectations of people he clearly doesn’t respect, it’s actually perfect.
The post Kevin Durant says the quiet part out loud about sports fans appeared first on Awful Announcing .
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