I freakin love Kevin Freaking Durant, but I'm a Dubs fans.
And that love for KfD and His Game has made me especially sensitive to all the disdain and internet vitriol hatred (really, is there any other kind?) focused on KD. I get that OKC fans are a lost cause, but at least they have a personal stake...so I understand. But the rest of the world outside of Dubnation?
So we all know and read/heard a million times now "the KD narrative" or some variation:
We heard it from other current players.
We heard it from former players...even HoFers.
We heard it yelled from the mountain tops from every media pundit, writer, blogger, and most annoyingly...in the comments sections of SBNation articles..ad nauseum. Almost any mention of KD results in some sort of backlash regardless of article or topic.
"The KD Narrative" can be subtle like a behind the hand slap..."a 73 win team adds a former MVP" or downright boldface..."He's soft and took the easy way"..."weakest move by a superstar"...and no, these are not clickbait headlines that end up being actual watered down material...writers, bloggers, and pretty much everyone (outside of Dubsnation) ...and not even basketball fans....think this and generally seems to agree that what KD did was wrong.
...and I don't want to get into the "lack of competition" and "league imbalance" which has been hashed do death.
This fanpost is about the simple question posed in the title: how does the "KD Narrative" change?
I would love to hear other's opinions, here's mine:
The change has already started.
It started with KD's own words: Beautiful basketball...and playing the game like it's supposed to be played. And will end with the flipping of the "competition" problem turning into the "Competition Re-emergence"...we knew the league's talent has been getting watered down for years and this off-season and the unprecedented re-aligning and grouping of stars are heralding in an age of talent and competition never before seen...and not only is it talent accumulation (which we've seen before), but the Dubs Beautiful Game is forcing teams to also find and develop new ways to improve efficiency on offense AND defense.
It becomes what all fans have longed for...all-star games that mean something...seeing the best of the best playing their best together against the best.
Would ushering in an NBA renaissance be enough to change the hate to appreciation of KD for being the catalyst for change? I think so. Nothing forges collaboration and innovation better than having a single great foe or threat...the Dubs are that...but rather than being the ugly insect-like or reptilian alien that's threatening...their game does not look ugly...and so the fight is not ugly either (maybe versus some teams, yes)...and I think that's the key difference. Dubnation has been treated to beautiful basketball...and I dare say it will only take equally beautiful hoops to contend with them and thereby inevitably winning over other fans. It's really about the love of the game...KD shows it playing as a Dub...and any person who as ever shot a basket can relate.