2011 NBA Playoffs
If the Oklahoma City Thunder can’t beat the Dallas Mavericks Wednesday night, it will be knocked out of the NBA’s Western Conference Finals. A loss also would end a compelling run by one of the postseason’s most improbable stars.
We’re referring, of course, to Kevin Durant’s backpack.
Durant, Oklahoma City’s standout forward, created a phenomenon when he began wearing his knapsack to postgame press conferences this month. Not only does Durant fasten the backpack’s straps around his chest, he also has a habit of buttoning his shirt all the way to the very top””nerd chic at its most blatant. The clean-cut Durant looks more like an eighth-grader shuffling his way to social studies than a 22-year-old multimillionaire who led the league in scoring.
Durant has said this was never about making a fashion statement. He simply wanted to be able to make a quick escape to the team bus after meeting with the media””and to have easy access to his Bible, which he carries with him.
Category : Blog
Great article from Darren Rovell on Kevin Durant’s marketability. Even Darren was surprised how well Kevin is doing in that department so far.
Kevin Durant fans seemed to be up in arms with me on Twitter when I said that I thought the Oklahoma City Thunder forward needed a bit more personality to be more marketable.
Durant does have deals with Nike, Gatorade, Panini, EA Sports, Skullcandy headphones and Degree Men, but I thought the small market and a reserved demeanor didn’t exactly make him stand out besides his amazing on the court performance, that is.
Instead of just guessing, I asked two polling services to tell me what their polls revealed about Durant.
I was surprised.
The Davie-Brown Index (DBI) shows that Durant’s best attribute is endorsement. He’s ranked No. 389 out of the nearly 2,800 celebrities in their database. Those polled consider Durant’s endorsement to be as good as an endorsement by Stephen Colbert, Jack Nicklaus or Will Ferrell. DBI data reflects that his endorsement means more to fans than anyone in the NBA, except for Shaquille O’Neal, Dwyane Wade and Dwight Howard.
“For a pretty quiet guy in a small sports market, these are impressive scores,” said Matt Delzell from the Marketing Arm, which manages the DBI. “You’re talking about a guy who just goes about his job and doesn’t look for media attention, doesn’t demand the spotlight. I also think that’s why he’s considered a pretty likable guy.”
Category : Blog
Check out the Nike Zoom KD III Kevin wore in game 5 against the Grizzlies on Wednesday night. The custom NIKE iD colorway of the shoe was designed by one of his twitter followers and personally hand picked by KD to wear during one of his home playoff games. You can customize your own pair of Nike Zoom KD III shoes on NIKE iD HERE or by clicking on the photos below:
Category : Blog
Kevin Durant gets the most out of his potential because of what he puts in before, during and after the game. Check out Kevin Durant and some of his Thunder teammates in this new Gatorade G Series commercial. Prime, Perform, Recover…The G Series from Gatorade.
Category : Blog
Congrats to Jamal Crawford for leading the Atlanta Hawks to a first round upset of the Orlando Magic! In about 30 mins per night, Jamal Crawford averaged 20 ppg on 44% shooting from the floor (46% from 3). Instant offense off the bench!
Category : Blog
