Author of exceptional playoffs and Olympic gold medalist, Kevin Durant returned to his best level after a clean season, and for many, he remains the best striker in the NBA, if not the best player at all. The day after his 33rd birthday, the Nets winger admitted that he was totally mentally liberated.
” When you are younger you want to impose yourself in the league ”, says Kevin Durant. “Sometimes we think too much, think too much about other people’s reactions and opinions because we try to be perfect. But you start to relax a bit and become aware of things in the long term, and clearly, mentally, that makes me nowadays more comfortable when I go to the gym every day because I don’t focus on that stuff anymore. “
Clearly, Kevin Durant has stopped reading everything we wrote about him, responding to it, and he is much better in his head. Even in terms of the game, he feels he is more comfortable because he simply has nothing more to prove.
“I really feel like I’ve improved every day and started to understand the game a little better”, he continues. “I kind of simplified it for me. I’m not trying to be anything other than the best I can be on the pitch. I really try to approach every encounter trying to be the best I can be and everything else will just flow by itself. If I prepare properly, the results will follow. Clearly, it made me feel a little more comfortable. “
In the end, the only pressure weighing on him is that of seeking a first title for the Nets within an overarmed workforce. But there again, he ensures that the group is serene.
“External pressure doesn’t really matter”, he concludes. “I think we all put pressure on ourselves internally because we set ourselves high standards and want to play well every time we step on the pitch. This is what we are as competitors. I don’t mean to disrespect you [les médias], our families, our friends and even our fans, who expect a lot from us, but if we don’t measure up, in the end their pressure doesn’t matter. We want to play really good basketball every night and we set ourselves that standard. I expect us to come onto the pitch with a certain desire and a certain intensity. But outside noise shouldn’t matter much to this group ”.
| Kevin Durant | Percentage | Rebounds | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season | Team | MJ | Min | Shots | 3pts | LF | Off | Def | Early | Pd | Fte | Int | Bp | Ct | Pts |
| 2007-08 | SEA | 80 | 35 | 43.0 | 28.8 | 87.3 | 0.9 | 3.5 | 4.4 | 2.4 | 1.5 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 0.9 | 20.3 |
| 2008-09 | OKAY | 74 | 39 | 47.6 | 42.2 | 86.3 | 1.0 | 5.5 | 6.5 | 2.8 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 0.7 | 25.3 |
| 2009-10 | OKAY | 82 | 40 | 47.6 | 36.5 | 90.0 | 1.3 | 6.3 | 7.6 | 2.8 | 2.1 | 1.4 | 3.3 | 1.0 | 30.2 |
| 2010-11 | OKAY | 78 | 39 | 46.2 | 35.0 | 88.0 | 0.7 | 6.1 | 6.8 | 2.7 | 2.0 | 1.1 | 2.8 | 1.0 | 27.7 |
| 2011-12 | OKAY | 66 | 39 | 49.6 | 38.7 | 86.0 | 0.6 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 3.5 | 2.0 | 1.3 | 3.8 | 1.2 | 28.0 |
| 2012-13 | OKAY | 81 | 39 | 51.0 | 41.6 | 90.5 | 0.6 | 7.3 | 7.9 | 4.6 | 1.8 | 1.4 | 3.5 | 1.3 | 28.2 |
| 2013-14 ★ | OKAY | 81 | 39 | 50.3 | 39.1 | 87.3 | 0.7 | 6.7 | 7.4 | 5.5 | 2.2 | 1.3 | 3.5 | 0.7 | 32.0 |
| 2014-15 | OKAY | 27 | 34 | 51.0 | 40.3 | 85.4 | 0.6 | 6.0 | 6.6 | 4.1 | 1.5 | 0.9 | 2.7 | 0.9 | 25.4 |
| 2015-16 | OKAY | 72 | 36 | 50.5 | 38.8 | 89.8 | 0.6 | 7.6 | 8.2 | 5.0 | 1.9 | 1.0 | 3.5 | 1.2 | 28.2 |
| 2016-17 | GOS | 62 | 33 | 53.7 | 37.5 | 87.5 | 0.6 | 7.7 | 8.3 | 4.8 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 2.2 | 1.6 | 25.1 |
| 2017-18 | GOS | 68 | 34 | 51.6 | 41.9 | 88.9 | 0.5 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 5.4 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 3.0 | 1.8 | 26.4 |
| 2018-19 | GOS | 78 | 35 | 52.1 | 35.3 | 88.5 | 0.4 | 6.0 | 6.4 | 5.9 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 2.9 | 1.1 | 26.0 |
| 2020-21 | BRK | 35 | 33 | 53.7 | 45.0 | 88.2 | 0.4 | 6.7 | 7.1 | 5.6 | 2.0 | 0.7 | 3.4 | 1.3 | 26.9 |
| 2021-22 | BRK | 27 | 37 | 52.3 | 38.2 | 88.6 | 0.5 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 5.9 | 1.8 | 0.6 | 3.2 | 0.9 | 29.7 |
| Total | 911 | 37 | 49.5 | 38.4 | 88.3 | 0.7 | 6.4 | 7.1 | 4.2 | 1.9 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 1.1 | 27.1 | |
