In a dimly lit gym packed with press, teammates, family and fans—hundreds more of whom cheered just beyond the building’s doors—Kevin Durant officially accepted the 2013-14 NBA Most Valuable Player award with a teary-eyed speech whose cadence and class enraptured everyone in witness.
Here, clearly, was not just an MVP the basketball-loving public could be proud of, but a once-in-a-generation talent poised to put a permanent stamp, informed as much by athletic brilliance as the buoyancy of his personality, on the game itself.
And yet, somehow, Durant’s critical importance threatens to be overshadowed by the doings and decisions of another denizen of the Thunder bench.
That man, of course, is head coach Scott Brooks.
In the wake of OKC’s 122-105 Game 1 drubbing at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night, the criticism, for once, had little to do with whether Russell Westbrook could stay under control and worry more about running the offense than letting fly a flurry of contested 18-foot jumpers.
Nor did it concern the play of Durant, whose shaky ...
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Article written by Jim Cavan
Oklahoma City Thunder Season Riding on Scott Brooks’ Coaching
May 6th, 2014 by Jim Cavan Leave a reply »
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