Even though he’s not much of an NBA fan favorite anymore, Kevin Durant is the true definition of success.
He entered the league as a highly-touted prospect, and it didn’t take long before he cemented himself among the world’s best.
He made it to the NBA Finals at a young age and lost, and then struggled to get back to that stage with the team that drafted him.
So, he eventually became a villain for leaving that team to join other stars and win the first two championships of his career.
Does that story ring a bell?
There are actually several parallels between Kevin Durant and LeBron James.
And notably, KD recently admitted that James had been his role model, both on and off the court.
LeBron isn’t much older than Durant, but he still looked up to him and reached out to him for advice, as he had gone through similar stuff when they both entered the league:
“He was probably the main guy that I looked at — and I still look at to this day — to see what he’s doing off the floor and seeing if there’s anything that we could potentially work on at some point. I really admire what Klutch (Sports Group), SpringHill (Company) and just LeBron, Inc. have done. That s— is one of the best brands — not just in sports, but in business in general,” Durant told The Athletic.
Early on, Kevin Durant had looked to LeBron James as the model signature athlete in the current NBA.
It's had an impact on on how he conducts his business affairs.
More from @tashanreed.https://t.co/FwFie1syHi pic.twitter.com/jcYckhgWCA
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) April 12, 2023
Now, James is one of the most successful businessmen in the sports industry, and KD isn’t that far behind him.
Recently, Charles Barkley claimed that James has the greatest story in sports history.
He was the most-hyped prospect of all time, and he was able to live up to — and exceed — all the expectations, all while avoiding any major scandal throughout his career.
So, there’s no wonder why he’s managed to inspire so many other greats that came after him, and chances are he’ll continue to be the standard for success and greatness around NBA circles for decades to come.
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