Warriors F Kevin Durant's new colorway for his Nike signature shoes "showcase all the negative terms he’s been called as well as all of his accomplishments last season," according to Daniel Mano of the San Jose MERCURY NEWS. The KD 10 Finals have "terms like 'snake' and 'cupcake' and 'traitor' inscribed on the insoles -- along with the reminder" that the Warriors went 16-1 in the playoffs en route to the '17 NBA championship behind Durant’s Finals MVP performance. The shoes are "clearly more for those who called him a quitter, weak, pathetic and a coward for leaving the Thunder" for the Warriors last offseason. That is "seemingly why Durant also featured the phrases '16-1' and '2017 champs' and 'Finals MVP' in yellow -- honoring one of the Warriors colors -- along with his statistics in each game" of the '17 NBA Finals (San Jose MERCURY NEWS, 9/13). ESPN’s Dan Le Batard said Durant is on a "vengeance" and "vindication tour" with his new sneaker line (“Highly Questionable,” ESPN, 9/13). The L.A. Times' Bill Plaschke said, “Everyone got on him for this move. If he wants to have the last word and have it on the soles of his shoe ... he could do that.” The Colorado Springs Gazette’s Woody Paige said the shoes “are fun,” featuring both stats and criticisms. Paige: “It’s entertainment and the shoes, from what I’ve heard, are already sold out” (“Around The Horn,” ESPN, 9/13).
TURN IT DOWN A NOTCH: FS1’s Skip Bayless said Durant is the "thinnest-skinned superstar I have ever observed closely in all my career." Bayless: "He cares so much that he cares too much what everybody says about him. ... I keep thinking, 'You showed them ... you shut them all up, all the critics and the doubters and the haters and the naysayers, all of them. All the trolls, boom, done, over!' But he couldn't live with that. He needs to say, ‘I told you so’ in the insoles of his new shoes. He's got to tell them 30 different ways” (“Undisputed,” FS1, 9/13). The Undefeated’s Clinton Yates said, “This is 10 pounds of petty in a five pound bag. Relax KD, you won the Finals MVP. You’re fine" ("Around The Horn," ESPN, 9/13).
