Kevin Durant pushed back against the idea that international stars have moved the NBA beyond American influence. While several international players headline today’s league, Durant argued that their rise is still deeply connected to the basketball culture and system built in the United States.
Kevin Durant Sends Blunt Message to Fans Celebrating NBA’s Global Takeover
For years, the narrative surrounding the NBA’s evolution has centered on a global shift. Players like Nikola Jokić, Luka Dončić, Victor Wembanyama, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander now lead MVP races.
Hence, regular-season leaderboards, and award ballotings, critics and analysts often frame this era as the moment international basketball overtook the American model. However, Durant sees it differently.
On Boardroom, the two-time NBA Champion and Finals MVP challenged the premise that foreign stars operate outside the umbrella of American influence.
“It’s about time,” KD said. “They been coming into the league since the 80s The real arguments should be who are they influenced by? Most of these dudes are influenced by who? Americans. It’s cool getting MVPs and stuff but who did you watch? You see Jokic, Porzingis, Shai, all these dudes with Iverson jerseys coming up…. They trynna play like us too.
You look at Shai, is he an international player? His pipeline for being a NBA player came from the American system. Where’d he go to college? Where’d he go to high school?”
The game has expanded globally. However, the style, tempo, and cultural rhythm of basketball remain fundamentally American. Hence, as long as the world’s best players grow up wearing Allen Iverson jerseys and studying American film, the heart of the game isn’t going anywhere.
Kevin Durant Weighs In On Russell Westbrook’s Retirement
Russell Westbrook officially retired from the NBA after an 18-year career. On Boardroom, Durant shared a remarkably candid reflection on the moment he processed the news.
“It just hit me, man, because it’s just like that’s one of the first dudes you come in with and you was around every day to finally step out of this sh*t. You know what I’m saying?” Durant said. “It’s just like a lot of guys that’s been younger than me or drafted after me have retired, but I wasn’t as close to them as I was to Russell.
“Sharing the same. And then as somebody I felt like can still, you know what I’m saying? It surprised me, you know? So, yeah, it was one of those things that you can appreciate all the time spent and then you can somebody like Russ who’s doing a lot off the court too, you know. I want to see what he does next.”
The news marked the conclusion of a hall-of-fame trajectory that took off in 2008 when he and Kevin Durant were paired together in Oklahoma City. Together, they transformed the young franchise into a powerhouse, culminating in an NBA Finals run in 2012.