Friday was crazy!
What’s going y’all? Man, yesterday was so crazy, I was going non-stop from talking to the media to going to photo shoots and team meetings.
Let me tell you, that media session was something else. I saw seen a lot more media this year than I saw last year at the Sophomore-Rookie practice.
But overall, this has really been a dream come true. I had a meeting earlier Friday with all the other All Stars and it felt good. Everyone’s coming to me and saying I deserve to be here. It shows the hard work is starting to pay off. I’m going to make it a point to go to everything – three-point contest, dunk contest – and just enjoy everything. It’s awesome. I’m looking forward to it.
And really, I’ve just got to stay humble, something I get from my mom. I remember when I was maybe nine or 10 and I was just coming off a really good game and I was boasting. My mom didn’t like that. She told me, ‘always act like you’ve been there before; always try to get better and never take this for granted and never put yourself on that pedestal.’ So I always took that to heart and always made sure I was humble and know that at anytime this can be taken away from me. And I just want to continue to let everybody know that I want to get better and that this is not the end for me.
That’s one of the stories I told to the media yesterday. A few reporters asked me if I can get to the same level as Kobe and LeBron, and I had to remind everyone that I’m not striving to be like those guys.
Those guys are way above me. I’m just getting into this league and trying to establish myself. I don’t really like when people compare me to those guys. They’re way above me. They’re more experienced and they’ve won more. That’s not only unfair to them but to me. I don’t want to be like LeBron, Kobe or ‘Melo. I just want to be Kevin Durant, and hopefully that’s at an All-Star level each year.
Another reporter asked me how much going back to my natural position of small forward has helped my game, and I thought that was a good question. It’s helped me out a lot, especially on our team. It’s tough playing shooting guard. That led to a lot of turnovers because smaller players could get under me. I think as the year went on, my rookie year, I learned how to play that position and that’s helping me out now so I can play multiple positions on the floor. From the 2 to the 4, where Scott Brooks is playing me a lot, I think that’s helped me out.
Another good question I had was about whether I get booed in opposing arenas.
Man, me and my teammates get booed a lot! I’ve heard some crazy things, these last couple of weeks especially – ‘you’re the worst player in the league, you’re too skinny, eat a sandwich, you’re not going to score tonight.’ I hear a lot of crazy things. It’s all fun and games.
Two of the hardest questions I had yesterday came from two Chinese journalists. One guy asked me to say Happy New Year in Chinese. I did my best, so hopefully it turned out well. And a female reporter from China told me we were streaming live to China and that she wanted me to say ‘I’m on fire’ in Chinese. That was another tough one.
But overall, the day went pretty well. And it’s something I really wouldn’t mind doing again, especially if it means I’d get to be an All-Star.
I’ve just got to continue to do the things I’m doing right now. I’ve just got to do them a little better – passing the basketball, playing defense, ball handling, being more of a facilitator within our offense. I think I’m doing a decent job but I can do a lot better. But like I said, I’ve got to continue to work and stay humble and bring that focus everyday.
Well, that’s it for now. Hopefully that gave you some insight into what’s been a memorable and hectic weekend for me. I’ll keep you posted on how my Saturday goes. As you know, I’ll be defending my H-O-R-S-E title in a little bit. Make sure to check that out.
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Tags: 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend, 2010 NBA Season, H-O-R-S-E, Kevin Durant, Kevin Durant Blog
