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The humble nature of NBA superstar Kevin Durant is well-documented.  With each passing season – each passing game even – the more convincing that statement becomes.  Despite his accomplishments this season, he believes his shot at being named Most Valuable Player of the league this season has passed.

 

"I don’t think I have a chance at it anymore," Durant said during the 2011 All-Star Weekend.  "I think people like the new person.  I think my year to try to win it was last year.  I’m not new anymore."

 

Perhaps the All-Star starter needs reminding that he’s currently leading the NBA in scoring (28.9 ppg) with a comfortable lead over his nearest competition (LeBron James and Amar’e Stoudemire at 26.1 ppg).  Perhaps a reminder is warranted of his contributions to OKC’s 35-10 record or its first-place ranking in the Northwest Division or its fourth-place seeding as of the All-Star break.  Does he deserve MVP consideration?

 

"Nah," Durant insisted.  "Our team is winning games.  I’m having a decent year, but like I said, I’m not the new guy anymore.  I’m kinda boring."

 

You may be surprised at his candidates for MVP.  Neither fall into the category of "new guys."

 

"As far as criteria, you have to probably give it to either Tony Parker or Manu Ginobili," he shared.  "Those guys have the best record.  Their record is ridiculous, looking at it on paper…I think they’re 45-10, 46-10.  To lose ten games halfway through the season at All-Star break is just unbelievable, so you have to give it to the best guy on the team with the best record.

 

"If I told you that wasn’t a goal of mine, I’d be lying," he adds.  "Hopefully I do, but I try not to worry about it; just play my game every day and get better every day."

 

With the Thunder making the Los Angeles Lakers fight hard for their first-round playoff victory last season, expectations are off the hook for the Thunder to go even further this year.  Everyone wants to know Durant’s postseason prediction.

 

"I wish I could tell you, man, but I can’t read the future," he replied earnestly.  "What I try to tell people…all we’re worried about is trying to get better every single day.  Never take steps back especially this late into the season.  Try to win as many games as we can.  We’ve got 28 games left, so hopefully we do a good job of winning more games than we lose, and we’ll see after that.  Hopefully we go as far as we can."

 

Durant belongs to the crop of young players most often referred to as the new generation of the NBA.  He acknowledges his membership in the select group, while paying homage to certain current players who he regards as veterans in this league.

 

"The veteran guys are still in charge of things, as far as being the main guys," Durant noted.  "Kobe (Bryant), LeBron (James), Melo (Anthony), those guys are still all paving the league for us.  They did it before we did it, so we have to pay our respects to them.  I’m sure, hopefully, whenever they give up, pass the torch to us, we’ll lead it just as good as they did.  But those guys are still very, very relevant; we’re just trying to follow their path.  Hopefully, we do a good job."

 

When pointing out that 26 year-old LeBron isn’t commonly thought of as a veteran, he has a quick explanation.

 

"He’s been in the league for a long time.  I don’t know what year he’s going on…eight, nine.  I don’t look at it as far as how old you are, I look at it as NBA years you’ve been in or how many games you’ve played I think, so he’s still a veteran."

 

{AUTHOR_BOX}Durant also shared his thoughts on rookie Blake Griffin and speculated as to why he’s been playing at such a high level at this early stage.

 

"He’s been great," he began.  "The easiest way to sum it up: I really think that year when he sat out, last year, really helped him just watching and thinking about the game a little bit better.  Just watching teammates and how they approach the game every day, it’s something you would learn, especially a smart player like him.  I’m very happy for him, he’s having a great year.  A player from Oklahoma, so I hear about him all the time.  I always try to watch his games when I’m free.  For him to be an All-Star as a rookie, that’s phenomenal."

 

During the All-Star event, Durant learned that his coach, Mo Cheeks, was just named a Basketball Hall of Fame finalist.  He could not have been more pleased to receive the news.

 

"Wow, that’s big time," he said proudly.  "He really deserved it.  He’s done so much for this league as a player and as a coach.  I’m happy for him; he’s a guy that’s been mentoring me since he got to Oklahoma City last year.  He’s been a big help to me.  Without him I don’t think I would be the player I am right now as far as my growth, or Russell or Eric Maynor or Jeff (Green), so he’s been a vital part to our team.

 

"He’s been around so many great players," continued Durant.  "So I just try to pick his brain all the time and ask him what players would do in certain situations.  He’s been a big help to me.  Hopefully he continues to stay on our staff.  He can go get a coaching job anywhere."

 

On the subject of coaches, Durant spoke very highly of the job coach Scott Brooks has done with the team.  Recall that Brooks was named interim coach in November, 2008; he was officially signed as head coach in April, 2009.

 

"We’re learning together.  I think that’s one thing that makes it easier, that we’re all learning together," Durant shared.  "He hasn’t been through everything in this league as a head coach; we haven’t been through everything as a player, so it makes it an even keel for us.  So we just try to get better with him every day.

 

"We have a good thing going there.  Our owner’s great, our coaches are great, our GM, all our players are great. I think we’re moving in the right direction."

 

Durant has a very special relationship with another coach: Russell Springmann, his assistant coach from his freshman year at the University of Texas.  In fact, he said Springmann and his wife were like surrogate parents to him.  About a month ago, the Springmanns paid Durant the ultimate honor by naming their newborn son after the stand-out player.

 

"Once I committed there and signed up for Texas, we became really close.  And to this day, we are.  Once he called and told me he was naming his son Durant…it’s something that made me kinda smile inside.  For him to think that much about me, that’s saying a lot.  I appreciate him for doing that.  I love them dearly so I was happy when I heard that."

 

We’ll wrap it up with an issue totally off-topic but especially important to Durant: video games.  Along with music, playing video games with his friends and teammates ranks extremely high on his list of hobbies.

 

Last summer, Durant was named the cover athlete of NBA Elite 11, but its release has been delayed.  To say this was a let-down is an understatement.

 

"I’m very disappointed.  To see yourself in a video game is a blessing.  I was really looking forward to it, but those guys are all about perfection up there."

 

He has a direct message to the powers that be: "Please release NBA Elite.  I’m begging you.  I’m on the cover.  Friends want to see the game in the store."

 

We hope they’re listening.