Kevin Durant is at his best when he’s angry. According to the Nets star himself, that’s the way he’s able to bring out his best on the basketball court.
On ‘The ETCs’ podcast (at 21:12), he explained the reality of his game and admitted that playing with a certain edge gives him more fun than playing “happy” and carefree.
“I’ve always had that mentality where it’s like I’m the skinniest guy so somebody’s gonna bully me or try to bully me. So I have to play with that chip or that edge. I think we all wanna play with an edge. The anger kinda brings the best out of us. I feel like that’s how I play. I try to tell myself that I’m better when I’m more joyous or happy and smiling and that’s a cool part of me too but it’s more fun when I play angry.
Durant seems like a pretty mellow guy, but it’s clear that he’s not afraid to fight back. Whether it’s on Twitter or during a game, he doesn’t let anyone bully him.
Apparently, this attitude/playstyle gives him a level of focus that is unmatched.
“…Cause I’m more focused and I wanna get the job done and I wanna do my best. I always wanna do my best but it’s just like I’m a little bit more focused, I really wanna complete the task. Nothing else matters, it’s just me. It’s a lot of other games when I’m focused on the surroundings because of my teammates, my coaches, just trying to help somebody else, getting involved with the crowd. Nothing else matters, it’s just silence, really just focused on what’s in front of me and trying to do it to the best of my ability. It’s taken me to a deeper place, darker place I guess.”
NBA players can face a lot of distractions during a game. Whether it’s the pressure to be great, trash-talking fans, or worrying about helping certain teammates, it can be hard to stay focused on the task at hand.
Nevertheless, carrying a chip on his shoulder helps Durant keep his mind in the right place on the court, and it is something that has clearly worked wonders for him this season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gz7vO9eY2ZI
