Nowadays, as international talents flood into the NBA, K. Durant tends to defend the often criticized US player development programs. According to him, the American basketball school is so strong that its influence affects basketball worldwide, where players like Jokic or Doncic are born.
“Basketball is global,” KD said on the “Board Room” podcast. “We play basketball all over the world, that is the goal. International players have been coming to the NBA since the 80s. It is simply a natural evolution that guys from all over the world take those positions as the best players in the league. The real question should be: who influenced them the most?”
K. Durant explains his thought: “They are influenced by Americans. It’s nice that they win MVP awards and so on, but who did they watch growing up? Jokic, Porzingis, and Shai… All these guys ran around in Iverson jerseys and braids in their hair, trying to imitate his moves… They always tried to play like us, and they succeeded, but they did it in their own way.”
For K. Durant, Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a great example of that influence: “Look at Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Is he an international player? He went through most of his growth path in the American system. Where did he study in college? Where did he play high school?
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So, there are many factors that determined why these guys are where they are. Mostly, of course, it is their hard work, but it is all imitation. Who do they watch and try to imitate on the court? That’s how everyone improved. By imitating the Americans of the “Dream Team.” So they just learn from us, just as I learned from American players.”
One could argue to K. Durant that currently international NBA stars have a greater impact on the new generation of players, but in K. Durant’s opinion, this is also part of the evolution that started in the US:
“Where did Luka Doncic get his moves from? I like guys who want to be like Luka Doncic and Michael Jordan. We need more sources of inspiration from different countries and different environments. Why not? I like to see how Luka performs moves learned from us and how he carries part of the American basketball culture to his country. I like that.”
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