NBA players, or really any professional athlete, are filled with immense, almost otherworldly confidence. Kevin Durant, humble as he is, is no exception to this rule. For some players, say, one that shoots barely above 30 percent above the field and gives himself a nickname with containing “swag,” that confidence isn’t so deserved. Durant, meanwhile, has absolutely deserved it. But whether it’s deserved or undeserved, it is always, always necessary. That confidence is what got them to the highest level of their sport in the first place. Skill is important, obviously, but without the confidence necessary to harness that skill, athletes can never reach their full potential.
So when KD says he’s still the best player in the world, as he does in this video, it’s not important whether he’s right or wrong. What’s more important is that he believes it. Because Durant is about to face a season unlike any other. Not only is he coming back from a major injury, thus facing the scrutiny all stars face when they return to the court, he’s also now the most sought-after soon-to-be free agent. There won’t be a day that goes by without a rumor about his interest in this team or that, speculation about how healthy he really is, worries about whether he’s gelling with new coach Billy Donovan, or anxieties that this Thunder team doesn’t have what it takes to win the title.
Imagine the person it takes to not only deal with this sort of extreme examination, but flourish despite all of it. They’d have to have an unbreakable confidence, incredible willpower, and supreme skill. They’d have to be, or at least believe themselves to be the best player in the world.
(Via Ruptly TV)
