The Knicks clearing double-max cap space for next summer sparked a firestorm of speculation. Will New York sign Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving? Draft Zion Williamson? Trade for Anthony Davis?
Amid the rumors, Durant went more than a week without speaking to the media. After the Warriors’ win over the Spurs on Wednesday, he sort of explained why.
NBC Sports Bay Area:
KD sounds off to reporters pic.twitter.com/Vmm34v6j5O
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 7, 2019
KD wasn't having it with the reporters tonight. pic.twitter.com/pRv4t4IXlM
— Warriors on NBCS (@NBCSWarriors) February 7, 2019
Earlier this season, Durant said he was prepared to handle the drama associated with him nearing free agency. Apparently, his limited patience for questions about his future has already worn out.
This can’t be easy for Durant. He’s a human being who faces an extreme amount of infamy – probably far more than he ever anticipated. That’s especially tough for someone who loathes being psychoanalyzed.
But a lot of people care where Durant plays next season. That isn’t a media creation. It’s the reality of being a great player in a popular sport. That immense interest is what drives players’ salaries so high.
If Durant wants to influence the conversation, he can talk publicly. Otherwise, that invites people to fill in the gaps themselves. Plenty of credible reporters try to do that responsibly, but it’s difficult when the primary source stays quiet.
To an extent, that’s Durant’s right. Forcing him to talk publicly when he doesn’t want to will advance little. But the NBA generally requires players to be available, because that generates publicity – read: money – for the league.
Durant should and will try to focus on basketball. Continuing to play great will make everything easier for him. As loud as the noise is now, it will only grow louder if he or Golden State slumps.
He can’t win these other battles. Interest in his free agency will not subside. He must find a way to live with that inevitability.
