Kevin Durant’s reputation as a humble, loyal guy has taken a bit of a beating since he announced Monday his intention to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder and sign with the juggernaut Golden State Warriors. These comments probably won’t do him any favors in that respect.
In an interview this week with Nick DePaula of the sneaker-focused site Nice Kicks, Durant answered a question about the rising price of his signature “KD” shoe line. While his debut KD1s retailed for $88, his recently released KD9s carry a price tag of $150, and the KD8s were even more expensive at $180 a pair.
Durant’s explanation for the price hikes was simple.
“As humbly as I can say it, I’m not a $88 player,” he said. “I’m an elite player in the league. I wanted everything to be affordable, but I knew we had to sacrifice some stuff. I just wanted the fans of the brand and of the shoe to just stay patient with me. And stay patient with who I am as a player, and the level I was trying to go to.”
Durant has a point: He clearly is one of the best players in the NBA and has been for quite some time. But for a someone who reportedly is very concerned about how the public perceives him, it isn’t the greatest look.
H/t SI.com
Thumbnail photo via Kyle Terada/USA TODAY Sports Images
