Kevin Durant: “I Really Don’t Give A Damn What People Got To Say”

Kevin Durant is the baddest, and after encountering some of the first critiques of his future Hall-of-Fame career, he’s weary of the crescendoing catcalls. After a summer that saw him encounter some backlash after bowing out of the FIBA World Cup and a foot injury that kept him out of the Thunder’s first 17 games, he made it clear he doesn’t “give a damn what people say” to the Washington Post‘s Michael Lee.

Here’s KD bringing that real talk as he prepares to lead the Thunder back from the Western Conference gloom:

“I really don’t give a damn what people got to say,” Durant said. “I really don’t care if they cut me slack or they don’t. I’m not looking for no sympathy from nobody. I’m not looking for no praise from nobody. It’s all good, either way with me. I just look for respect from teammates as a player and as a man. That’s what I want. All that other stuff, I learned how to tune that stuff out and not worry about. I used to think about it. ‘Are they going to cut me slack? Do they love me if I play this way.’ I really don’t give a damn.”

KD’s teammate and fellow All-Star Russell Westbrook didn’t surprise anyone when he answered Lee’s question about whether he’s angry at the Thunder’s slow start — they went 5-12 in Durant’s absence — by saying with a straight face, “I’m always angry,” Durantula’s invective is a new wrinkle to his public persona.

“You can’t please everybody,” Durant says. “I can go out there and average 50 points a game, it’s always going to be something people say. If you don’t like me for it, so what?”

There is one NBA all-timer who understands the often unfair microscope that comes with being the MVP and annual pick to contend for a title. When Spurs coach Gregg Popovich was asked about recent criticisms of KD, he made a comparison to another MVP’s battle with the fickle public.

“It’s funny. Seems like the greater you are as a player, the more people want to pull you down,” Popovich said. “LeBron [James] got the same stuff. Kevin is going through the same thing now that LeBron did for a few years. But he’s got big-time character, he’s got a thick enough skin and he’s smart enough to know, compete and play the game and good things happen.”

The Thunder better hope so. They’ve got a long road to climb before getting back into playoff contention, and it’s likely they’ll have to win three series as the underdog if they’re going to return to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2012 when James’ Heat eliminated them in five games.

Right now, they’re 2-1 with KD in the lineup and 3-1 with Russ back. But they’re overall record of 7-13 has them in 12th place in the loaded Western Conference. They need the 2014 MVP to return to form before it’s too late. Right now, it’s not just Russ who is angry — Durant seems pretty ticked off, too and that will likely spell doom for opponents.