NBA

Kevin Durant Says He’s “Not Happy At All” For Dirk Nowitzki. Good.

by Glenn Davis | 10:09 am, May 26th, 2011

Last night, the Dallas Mavericks eliminated the Oklahoma City Thunder from the playoffs with a 100-96 win that sends the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. The Mavs also made a Finals appearance in 2006, but they’ve experienced a lot of playoff disappointment through the years. (That’ll happen when you share a conference with the Lakers and Spurs.)

They’ve experienced so much disappointment, in fact, that some can’t help but feel good to see Dirk Nowitzki, who’s played so well for so long, will get another shot at winning a title. After losing last night, the Thunder’s Kevin Durant was asked if, on some level, he’s among those happy for Nowitzki. His answer warmed our hearts:

Good on you, Kevin. Honestly, we weren’t fans of the question – you expect the guy to feel any happiness for rival right after he gets beaten, and beaten to end his season, at that? But we do like Durant’s response. He didn’t pull any punches – he wanted to win.

That’s a good thing, and it’s one reason why he’s become so popular (aside from simply not being LeBron). Durant’s an intensely competitive guy with a ton of talent, and though that didn’t lead to a title this year, we like his chances to get it done eventually – and we don’t expect Dirk Nowitzki to feel happy for him if and when he wins one himself.

[Quickish]

Anonymous

There is NO question that Durant will be on a championship team sometime.
I like his style of play and his attitude on the court.
His play is outstanding most of the time but he has those lapses when he turns the ball over and goes through an inexplicable shooting slump for a quarter. Both can be worked out with practice and dedication.
Congratulations to the Oklahoma Thunder for their success so early in their basketball history.
Mphsrick43

Boo hoo hoo the king of the FT line didn’t make the finals.