It would be nice to side with Kevin Durant. A man who, if he allowed fans, should be relatable as a person for his insecurities despite his success. At times, for that very reason, I know I do.
Then, unfortunately, he often decides to randomly play the role of KD > everyone else. A cheap, inauthentic version of Kevin Garnett’s earnest assholery and confidence.
Clicks, eh? Durant clearly has a firm understanding of the revenue model in 2020!
Durant is correct, though. People can make up anything in the name of whatever. Like, you know, burner accounts. A person can make up a billion of those to defend their honor under the protection of anonymity. It’s a harmless endeavor, if we’re to be honest, though it could result in some unintended consequences.
Like what? Tickle me glad you asked!
Something such as people no longer taking the owner of several burner accounts seriously, especially when he’s pushing “fake news narratives” in an era where people’s relationships with media is especially fragile.
Of course, as a former media member myself, I’m not going to sit on my throne built off lies, feet massaged by sources, then scribble some words about the glory and honor that comes with being a BIG J JOURNALIST. There are, obviously, some grifters among our ranks; certainly more than there should be.
However, unless there’s a grand conspiracy to paint Kevin Durant in a negative light by saying he’s interested in reuniting with his old teammate — which, ugh, that’s not a negative — KD’s perspective ignores how every reporter is getting their own sources on the subject matter. It’s not as if one reporter broke the benign news, then other reporters who confirmed it were just piggybacking off the first guy.
Anywho, it’s also ignoring how sources work, which Durant is fully aware of at this stage of his career. For the sake of giving Burner Man a huge benefit of the doubt, let’s pretend he and Harden have spoken literally zero words about playing together. Not a god damn whisper. People around either guy, those who they value as friends, agents or whatever, can be the people feeding the media the alleged lie. It’s THEIR people providing the information.
I promise you, there’s only a minuscule chance numerous different reporters woke up one morning, then decided to invent this lie. After all, it’s a lie not worth inventing. Kevin Durant, James Harden and the Brooklyn Nets are simply not that important.
Nevertheless, here’s where things begin to get tricky. Durant might not be lying about everything from his perspective, but the same can be said for the media. All those big bad journos are doing is landing (hopefully) at least two sources who told them about such talks between KD and Harden, then running with it because they’re close enough to one (or both) guys that they’re considered good sources.
They are KD’s own pals!
Part of me still wants to give the fake account fanatic leeway. I honestly couldn’t image being that famous, with people telling me how good or bad or awful I am without being nearly as good at the thing I do, and all of that jazz. Fame seems legitimately awful to me.
However, Durant makes it difficult. His constant anti-media stances are what they are, and those in itself don’t make me iffy with my wavering support. I, too, have issues with a lot of media and its coverage. Rather, it’s… ugh… the messenger.
A messenger, mind you, who is probably too confident in his dislikes of well established entities, people, and those who are not basketball players, while having his own (benign) misgivings, to be this arrogant with his viewpoints.
Anyway, there’s just a huge link of awareness missing from one of the best basketball players on the planet. No matter his sincere reason, you can’t be the dude who creates fake accounts, then complain about allegedly fake news.
Fake complaining about fake is just too on the nose.
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Joseph used to write a bunch of things for places like Forbes, FRS and others. Now he’s ‘the man’ in management. A big old loser. A washed, leathery face, too. Here’s his own newsletter.