Thunder: Kevin Durant’s commitment to autographs
Maybe the most impressive moment in any Thunder game is 100 minutes before tipoff, when the doors open and the crowd treks in. The autograph seekers sprint to the front row of the Ford Center (sorry, that’s it’s name).
And one of the NBA’s top three superstars stops his pre-game shooting and comes over to sign autographs. It’s not Cal Ripken, coming out after every Baltimore Oriole game and signing for two hours as lines of fans snaked around Camden Yards. But it’s mighty impressive in the 21st century, for an international celebrity to mingle with fans in such a manner.
Durant doesn’t meet all the autograph demands, but he signs for 5-10 minutes as he works his way to the locker room. He poses for photos, chats with fans, generally makes PR points all along the way.
Why does Durant do it? “I put myself in their shoes,” Durant said. “That means a lot to people. Just showing my fans, letting them know I’m a nice guy to talk to.”
Sunday night, Durant signed a few autographs, then went back down the line to pose for a photo.
“I think it’s cool to have the pictures,” said Bobby Bingham of Chickasha, who shot a photo of his son, six-year-old Brayden, and nephew, eight-year-old Aiden Nickles, with Durant. Bingham said Durant, Jeff Green, Russell Westbrook and Nick Collison are good autograph signers. “The younger guys are harder to get.”
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