Kevin Durant on Authenticity, theโ NBA Platform, adn Future Aspirations
NBA superstar kevin durant emphasized the importance of staying true to oneself, both on and off the court, during a conversation wiht CNBC’s Andrew Rossโ Sorkin at the CNBC Sport and Boardroom’s game Plan conference โคon โขTuesday. โ
“That’s when you be who you are,” Durant stated. “Don’t โฃtry to change your personality. โขDon’t try too hard. Just be exactly who you are, showcaseโข your game, and then people are going โขto gravitate towards you.”
Durant, a two-time NBA champion and four-time Olympic gold medalist widely considered one of the league’s all-time leading scorers, believes focusing on his game was paramount to his success. He explained, “I was catering to the basketball community, โฃand that is just going out there and playing my game. I just felt like โคmy game speaks for itself.” He highlighted the reachโ of โขthe NBA – “the โsecond-most watched sport in the world,โค full โขof billions of people” – asโ providing โฃa sufficient platform for โคhis talent to shine.
This confidence in his โabilities, durant added, is “probably why I was so confident in movingโ around the league, so much that Iโฃ feel like I can do this anywhere.” โHeโ has played in six different cities throughout his career, including Seattle (laterโ relocating to Oklahoma City) and most recently, Houston.
Rich kleiman, Durant’s business partner, elaborated on their decision-making process regarding team moves, stating that business opportunities weren’t the primary driver. “We weren’t sitting thereโข in June going what business is there โforโ us in Houston, as opposedโ to what business there would be for us in Miami,” Kleiman explained. Instead, theyโข prioritize โขbuilding lasting โขrelationships, citing existing connectionsโ with owners like Tilman and Patrick Fertitta (houston Rockets), Joe Tsai (Brooklyn Nets), and Joe Lacob (Golden State Warriors).
Kleiman further noted that Durant’s โapproach of letting his โขperformance speak for itself has translatedโ into the business world.โ “I thinkโฃ what Kevin has been able to doโข is show thatโข there’s a different blueprint you can take, that less can be โฃmore, and โคthatโข your game can speak for itself,” he said.
Looking ahead,โค Durant expressed interest in โcompeting inโ the 2028 Olympics, but onlyโค if he can contribute meaningfully. He stated he doesn’t want โtoโ simply “come sit on the end of โthe bench and get you a fifth [gold medal].”
Durant also indicated a desire to eventually become an NBA team owner, acknowledging the challenges posed by rising valuations. He already holds โคownership stakes in MLS’s Philadelphia union and a professional pickleballโ team. kleiman โขbelieves Durant’sโ relationship-building skills and understanding of brand growth would be invaluable inโค anโ ownership role,particularly as team ownership structures become more diverse and require strategic expertise to generate revenue.