Kevin Durant recently appeared on Bill Simmons' Any Given Wednesday show to discuss various topics, including the Golden State Warriors and his ex-teammate Russell Westbrook.
Durant also had the opportunity to speak about his position in the NBA and general athletic competition.
While most players gawk at the chance to be compared with the arguably greatest player to ever play the game, Durant says his mindset about how to dominate the competition is different.
“When you step in between the lines, it’s like that’s when we compete. That’s when we’re gonna go at each other, that’s when I’m gonna do what I do in my zone, and that’s when you’re gonna do what you do. But I don’t carry that with me as soon as I step off the court. I don’t care about you that much to try and wanna hate you, you hear what I mean? I hear all the time that Michael [Jordan] hated such and such, that Isiah [Thomas] hated such and such. I’m not thinking about you at home when I’m on my couch, for me to hate you that much. That’s just not who I am, but when we play, I’m not even thinking about you. I’m worried about how I’m gonna dominate.”
Michael Jordan was obsessed with winning, and his drive rubbed off on his teammates in so many ways. He walked away from the game three-peating twice, something that is much harder to do than most consider.
Durant may not want to take down his opponents at every waking moment, but he does want to win on the court.
Off the court is where he separates his personal feelings from how he interacts with others.
You can watch a short segment from the show below.
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