Kevin Durant says he's at his best if he doesn't care about winning or losing
The Warriors star needs to be free of expectations. Good luck with that.
By
Matt Moore
•
2 min read
Kevin Durant showed up on Wednesday, and Team USA took off. The Warriors forward had 27 points while leading Team USA to a dominant victory over Argentina to advance to semifinal play vs. Spain on Friday. After the game, Durant remarked on how his mindset had changed in recent days, with as much scrutiny as Team USA has been under despite an undefeated record.
"I told myself before I left my room, I'm at my best if I don't care if we win or lose," Durant said. "It might be different for other players. But for me, I'm more free and aggressive, and it's way more fun for me if I don't care about the outcome. I know if I go out there and be who I am, the outcome will dictate itself."
Source: Looks like the real Kevin Durant is back for USA Basketball.
So that's kind of an interesting quote, given where Durant is. Durant joined a team that won 73 games last season and is expected to compete not only for a championship next year, but to break that wins mark. If the Warriors do not win more than 73 games, it will be a letdown. If the Warriors do not win the NBA championship, it will be a failure.
LeBron James in his first season in Miami, playing the villain, was uncomfortable and out of place mentally. It impacted his game; he's admitted as much. Durant is a competitor, there's no getting around that fact. You don't become one of the three best players in your sport without being a top notch competitor. But Durant seems to be indicating here that he needs to get past all the noise that comes with the Olympics to play well, and similarly, he may need that to get past the distractions when it comes to joining Golden State.
He may be better off when he doesn't have to care about the outcome, but he also no longer has that luxury. In Oklahoma City, any failures were ascribed to the roster, the coaches, to Russell Westbrook. By joining the Warriors, Durant has changed that dynamic. Now it very much much is about him.
He was able to get past all the noise with Team USA and thrive against Argentina; two more wins and he'll have captured his second Olympic Gold Medal. He may have to go through a similar process with Golden State.
