Today, Kevin Durant announced he’ll be joining the Players’ Tribune as deputy publisher. It’s a position that will reportedly have him working directly with founding publisher Derek Jeter, which means he will be one of the highest-ranking players at the publication.
Durant’s decision to join up with the Tribune is understandable; he’s had a few disagreements with journalists, to the point where he has become outright distrustful. In a statement released with the news, Durant expressed a desire that “athletes can have our say and feel safe that nothing will be distorted.” It’s a relatable goal, no matter what side of the media-player divide you agree with.
Working directly with Jeter means that Durant will technically rank higher than editorial director Kobe Bryant, as well as all the senior editors, including Blake Griffin and Kevin Love. I wouldn’t expect Durant to start bossing Kobe around any time soon, however. It’s unclear how much time any one athlete spends doing work for the Players’ Tribune, but it’s hard to imagine Durant bursting into Kobe’s office (would he have an office?) (he does rank pretty highly) demanding why contributor Draymond Green hasn’t turned in his column on managing expectations the season after you win a title yet. (Seriously, we’re waiting on that one, Dray.)
Durant promises editorial content from him “in the next few weeks,” and we wait with bated breath to see what form it takes.
(Via NBA.com)
