Kevin Durant Enjoys Being Steph Curry’s Teammate Because He Doesn’t Consider Himself A Leader


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Kevin Durant is unquestionably one of the best basketball players on earth. Despite this, the Golden State Warriors‘ star forward admits that he lacks a quality that many of the game’s greats possess: leadership. It’s not the kind of flaw that prevents him from being a superstar or anything, but it’s still something that is just not part of his repertoire.

The issue was that Durant had to take on this role from the day that he was drafted by the Seattle Supersonics. Even though he played alongside Russell Westbrook, the Oklahoma City Thunder were always viewed as Durant’s team, which didn’t fit with his more laid-back personality.

Durant isn’t a rah-rah kind of guy who’s going to get the team hyped with an epic pregame speech, and would prefer to lead by example with what he does on the court. It’s one of the reasons he was so happy to join Golden State, because he knew he was entering a locker room where those leadership roles are already established, and he could simply join a team that let him do what he does best and play ball.

Durant laid out his thoughts on leadership with Zach Baron of GQ, and said that he enjoys that Steph Curry is the face of the Warriors franchise because it keeps him from taking on a role that he dislikes.

“Steph Curry is the face of the franchise, and that helps me out, because I don’t have to,” he said. “I don’t want to have to be the leader. I’m not a leader. I’m bad at saying, ‘Stand behind me and follow me.’ No. I’m one of those guys that’s just like, ‘Let’s do this shit together. Let’s just work everybody together. I don’t mind being on the front line with you, but let’s come and do it together.’ That’s my way of leadership. I’m leading by example.”

After spending the first decade or so of his NBA career as the face of the Sonics/Thunder organization, having the chance to let someone else be “the man” and get the opportunity to blend in to some extent must have been a wonderful feeling.

(Via GQ)

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