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You’ve already read it, but read it again — Bill Simmons on OKC: “At the same time, you never forget you’re in Oklahoma City. Not for a second. The locals have been impossibly friendly and welcoming, shades of Indianapolis during Super Bowl XLVI, only with the added wrinkle that everyone is overwhelmed that the NBA Finals actually came to Oklahoma. Before every game starts, someone walks out to midcourt and says a prayer. During the national anthem, everyone holds their hand over their heart and sings. The video screen keeps flashing the words “Oklahoma,” and the fans chant “Oh Kay See! Oh Kay See!” constantly. Does any other fan base chant the name of its city and not the team’s nickname?”

J.A. Adande of ESPN.com on KD: “He’ll leave the legacy-shaping to the others. And for that, we’ll turn to Nike, the shoe company that has been so influential in shaping the sports narrative for the past three decades. It was Nike that turned Michael into “Air Jordan,” that helped us define players as much by what they have on their feet as what they do on the court. Durant is in the process of being “elevated,” as Nike sports marketing executive Chuck Terrell put it — being positioned to take over when Kobe and LeBron are no longer the top horses in the stable. And while Durant doesn’t designate who he’ll be, if his coaches and teammates and team executives can’t provide an answer, the Nike marketer has no problem distilling his vision of Durant into two words: ‘That guy.’” Keep Reading…

Henry Abbott of TrueHoop on Kevin Durant: “The end result of all these quick attacks is a player who is incredibly difficult to guard. Even if you want to double-team him on the catch — about as aggressive as NBA defenses ever get — you generally have less than a second to do so. Against most of Durant’s moves, there can be no help. Water doesn’t dawdle on the way to the ocean. In Durant’s hands, the ball doesn’t dawdle on the way to the cup. His big scoring nights are like rainstorms — all those little drops, and presto, the bucket is full.”

Ken Berger of CBSSports.com: “You watch Durant thriving here, in this environment, and you understand why he likes it so much — why he didn’t have the same singular obsession to move to a glamour market and team up with more stars. Why look for a star to team up with when you can guard him in the fourth quarter of a Finals game and score on everybody else? Game 2 is Thursday night in Oklahoma City, where we will all be treated to more star power, more dueling role players and more brilliance from two of the game’s greats at the height of their considerable powers. Round 1 goes to Durant. Now, it’s time for the counterpunch. This is what we call fun.” Keep Reading…