Friday Bolts – 7.22.11
I posted on Twitter yesterday a picture of KD with some new ink. A lot of people evidently weren’t aware that Durant has some tattoos. And evidently, some people turned a little silly about it, worrying about KD maintaining his squeaky clean image. A quick word: Tattoos, unless they include swastikas or something similar, don’t really say much other than, “Hey, I like this thing so much I wanted to put it on my body forever.”
Kurt Helin of PBT on KD’s tats: “He just crams all those tattoos into the parts of his body covered by his jersey. Why? Marketing. He knows he’s the clean-cut image guy, this way he looks like he doesn’t have tats while he plays. Okay, maybe that’s too cynical, maybe he likes just getting tattoos on his torso… no, I have a hard time thinking that’s the case. Whatever. It really doesn’t matter. That a guy in the NBA has tattoos — a lot of them, even — is not a sign of some “thug” life. It’s generational, and while the 50-somethings in the luxury suites don’t get it, their favorite 20-something up-and-comers at their law offices have tats under their suits.”
Trey Kerby of TBJ on KD’s tats: “A professional basketball player cramming a body’s worth of ink in to a jersey-shaped swath of skin so that he maintains his nice guy marketability is the epitome of business tattoos. Too funny. Gotta stay family-friendly.”
Eric Freeman of BDL on the tats: “Whatever the case, Durant’s tattoos prove that he’s not the squeaky clean figure many people make him out to be. As I’ve said before, he has an edgy streak. He has a lot more in common with the rest of the NBA than many people are willing to admit.”
Regardless, KD is still No. 1 on CBSSports.com’s likability ratings: “Surprised? You shouldn’t be. It’s virtually impossible to find fault with the NBA’s scoring champ. Durant combines Rose’s humble nature, Nowitzki’s impossible scoring touch, Griffin’s “new car smell,” Howard’s technological accessibility and a Bryant-esque work ethic. He’s polite, he’s shown he has what it takes to win in the playoffs at a young age, he’s popular on an international stage already and the best is yet to come. He’s confident, but not cocky. He’s a gunner, but he comes off as unselfish. He’s team-first and loyal, much like Paul, and he’s locked in long-term so there’s no doubt or question about his future motives (at least not yet). Put it all together, and Durant is enjoying the ultimate honeymoon period with the NBA fans. We love potential, and Durant still has plenty of that. Also, he wears a backpack.”
The Philippines are excited to welcome James Harden.
Westbrook is ignoring the noise: “My job is not to prove myself to whomever it is that is talking about this team,” Westbrook said. “It’s to help my team and organization get better. Everyone has their own opinion, and once someone says something they just roll with it. And that’s how it went.”