KD’s Burner Is A Lesson In Authenticity

…Says Mark Cuban. Cuban says fans actually appreciate Adam Silver’s scourge du jour because it can usher in a new, electric era for a franchise. That’s true for this here fan, but I know some who disagree. Then again, some of them aren’t fans at all. 

When Katie Heindl goes to an event and writes a dreamy, ethereal recap on the event, it’s a must-read every time. Her ”BASKETBALL FEELINGS” write-up post All-Star Weekend is no exception.

I have been trying to figure out exactly why Eileen Gu has become controversial for the past few days. One of our fave journalists, Joon Lee (with the help of Chinese and American reply guys), explains it here. And whether you love her or hate her, you have to admit the supermodel Stanford grad is doin’ her thing in Italy. 

Are you familiar with the sportswear brand Left On Friday? Now you are, because you are obviously reading this piece from our pesky kid-brother newsletter, which features a Q&A with the founders about how they’re storming the gates of volleyball outfitting. Asics, Under Armour, watch out.

Anime and soccer have become the perfect pairing, thanks to players like Dominic Solanke, whose goal celebrations aren’t a gimmick, as much as a building block to who he is. “Rising Ballers” draws parallels (and more) here. 

Kevin Durant doesn’t need a defender, even this world-class defender. That’s not really what I’ll be doing here today anyway, but I will use his latest contretemps to try to illustrate a point I feel strongly about. 

(Disclaimer: I do not endorse anything KD may have said in these screenshots, and I’ll probably keep clarifying that throughout this spiel.)

This past Sunday, just before the All-Star game, screenshots of KD’s alleged burner X accounts were leaked on social media. And while they have not been proven to be true, if they are real, they are surprising. I’ll let you read them on your own if you haven’t, because the content is less important than the theme of all of this, which I believe to be: If we really want athletes to show us their authentic selves, rather than a curated personality coiffed by PR teams and brand deals, we have to embrace it when they are. 

I don’t have burner accounts myself. I’m in IG comments shamelessly saying embarrassing stuff with my full government name and photo, but I think the point still stands. Regardless of where he was doing this, he was being authentic (even if we don’t love what he allegedly said). 

Sure, he was in DMs defending (borderline harassing) Drake to Kendrick stans, because that’s who KD is. Whether or not it’s something the rest of us feel we would do from a moral standpoint is irrelevant. I wouldn’t have said disparaging things about my teammates if I were in the league like he did, but I probably wouldn’t have beef with all my teammates, either. Kevin Durant has beef with people. That’s who he is. And that’s (one of the reasons) why he’s so compelling as a public persona. 

Ant Edwards, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic are all lauded for being who they are. But in the same breath we call KD unhinged, we’re wishing big names like gave us more than just canned answers on everything from music taste to international relations. For Seinfeld fans, it’s reminiscent of “Independent George.” 

So, the KD situation asks an important question: we say we want athlete authenticity, but do we really? I believe the answer is still yes, but I still think there’s value in everyone asking themselves. 

Olivia Dean is kind of always on my mind. Maybe it’s because you can’t go anywhere without hearing one of her catchy tunes, or maybe because she is so beautiful. Or maybe because I recently found out she’s a diehard Hammer (a West Ham fan, for those of us in the know). 

(It really begs the question: why isn’t West Ham screaming this from the mountain tops?!). 

She’s so proud of her fandom that she doesn’t even care if she pisses off the Newcastle fans. For what it’s worth, Man City doesn’t seem to be bothered, because they’re all in on her. And her choice of football team speaks to her woman-of-the-people character, too. In London, a city blessed with bigger clubs like Arsenal, Chelsea, and Tottenham, the Irons (another name for the Hammers, which is another name for West Ham) are the true people’s choice.   

Plus, her music is the best soundtrack to soccer edits. 

@dandoesfooty

I love Olivia Dean x Football #fyp #foryou #foryoupage #viral #xybca