How To Be An MVP | Kevin Durant's Mindset Strategies

I've been through the toughest times with my family, but I'm still standing.

It was kind of tough knowing that sometimes I would work so hard and everybody else, and I wasn't seeing, I wasn't reaping the benefits of it, and I wasn't—

I mean, people just always say that it's cool, you're top 3, that's cool. And a lot of people got on me for crying in front of, on national TV, but when you wanted something that bad, it was just like I didn't care.

You know, we talk about the end result, if it's not where it should be, then it's a failure.

When something good happens to you, I don't know about you guys, but I tend to look back to what brought me here.

He's an American professional basketball player for the Oklahoma City Thunder of the NBA.

He's won an NBA Most Valuable Player Award, 4 NBA scoring titles, and the Rookie of the Year Award.

He's been selected to 6 All-NBA teams and 7 All-Star teams.

He's Kevin Durant, and here's my take on his top 10 rules for success.

I come from, I come from a small county outside of Washington, D.C.

called PG County.

Me, my mom, my brother, we moved so many different places growing up and felt like a box.

Felt like there was no getting out.

I love basketball so much.

I love playing it.

I just never thought that I could make it to college, NBA, or stand up here today standing in front of you guys and being NBA MVP.

So many people believed in me when I didn't believe in myself. So many people doubted me and motivated me every single day to be who I am. I failed so many times and got back up. I've been through the toughest times with my family. But I'm still standing.

You continue to put the ball in his hands.

Grant coming to the rim. Oh, bring the love!

Oh, big old tomahawk!

It was kind of tough knowing that sometimes I would work so hard and everybody else, and I wasn't seeing— I wasn't reaping the benefits of it, and I wasn't I wasn't getting any better as quickly as I wanted to, but I stayed patient. And that was one big thing for me, is knowing when to stay patient, that everything's gonna come around. And I think that, you know, with that patience I gained as a kid, it's helping me in the NBA right now. So, you know, for me, it's just, you know, always, always working hard and always trying to get better and knowing that I can get better, knowing that, you know, I didn't get to— I'm not there where I want to be yet. So I have a long ways to go.

Durant, nice spin move, scoops it up off the window. My goodness. Oh, the 2-time scoring champ showing you why.

Kevin, this is your quote. I've been second my whole life. I was the second best player in high school, second pick in the draft, second in the MVP voting 3 times. I came in second in the Finals. I'm tired of being second. I'm not going to settle for that. I'm done with it. Stand by that?

Definitely.

I mean, people just always say that it's cool, you're top 3, that's cool.

It's all right to be a top 3 player in the world.

It's a—

it's billions of people in this world, and you to be the top 3, that's pretty cool. I mean, I'm just tired of settling for that, tired of saying that. I'm tired of hearing it.

Westbrook, the trigger, 9 seconds, got to get it in. It's in the hands of Durant, the scoring champ, from the top against Marriott. Durant, pull-up jumper, off the rim, and in!

And the Thunder win! Durant beat them again! All right, let's go! Let's go! Let's go, Ant!

I work out on the court on drills, but pickup is where I hone my instincts for the game. I love being around the atmosphere. I love being around basketball players. I love to hear people talk trash to me when I'm out in the neighborhood playing. I love it, you know. That's, that's the best part of the summer for me.

Now it's in the other way.

Good rejection and blocked by Durant, who comes galloping and Rucking the rim, going high and coming down hard.

It's just a matter of me, you know, continuing to learn the game and watch and try to get better each and every day and not being complacent. And I think that's the biggest thing, wanting to be great. And this game is, is half and half mental and physical. It may be more mental than physical, you know, so I got to get my mind right and be able to handle a whole season and the playoffs, you know, to be a good player. So, uh, but with me, it's just, you know, all about progressing and, uh, and knowing what I need to work on and work on it.

23 points in their opener. Here, what a move by Durant, and he lets the big dog eat Collison with the finish. Pavlovich is still feeling that.

Oh, it's historical. I think about that run all the time. Um, Oklahoma City is all about Um, first off, natural disasters and Oklahoma City bombing, just to put it out there, to be real. I mean, that's what the city was known for. And to win a Western Conference championship with a group of young guys, that the city has never seen anything like it, that's something I'm always going to remember.

But the Thunder lost the NBA title to the Miami Heat and LeBron James in 5 games. Kevin Durant was second again. And there to console him was the same person who made him do push-ups in the middle of the night 12 years earlier. Long hug with your mom after you all didn't make it there. You hugged her long and hard.

Yeah.

Well, first of all, that was just like a thank you. And my mom, she was always there at the right time, man.

And a lot of people got on me for crying in front of—

on national TV. But when you want something that bad, it was just like I didn't care.

I'd be hard-pressed to beat 11 minutes. I'm telling you, I'm hard-pressed to beat 11 minutes. Durant just throws KD, catching it on McGee.

Hello, top 10!

You know, the first few games in the playoffs, I was just so excited to be a part of that atmosphere again and to be back on that level. It was just amazing. I appreciate every single moment, you know. We, we, uh, You know, just I always revert back to me being injured because that was first time something got taken away from me that I love so much, and it just made me appreciate every moment, you know, because we can easily talk about, you know, the end result of things, but you know, the whole journey, you know, we talk about the end result. If it's not where it should be, then it's a failure. But I look at it as like, look, man, this is an important part of my life. This was something I'm— this memory is something I'm always going to carry. And it was just great to be a part of, you know, to be on the court playing in that atmosphere again.

Here we go. Tie game. Wally has it. Out front, Durant steps into a 3 for the win. It's online and good! Kevin Durant rises, reigns, and drains the 28-footer. The Sonics win it in Atlanta. You gotta love it.

To always do it for love, no matter what it is, and work hard. It may sound cliché, but hard work really does pay off in whatever you do. That's the motto I use, you know. So you set small goals and try to reach them, and then that's when big goals start to come around. And before you know it, you know, you're gonna start to rise on the totem pole.

Durant! Oh my goodness! Boy, Hibbert couldn't get there in time on that. Durantula! Look at that.

You gotta be kidding me.

I just try to make it about the team, make it about my teammates. It's unfair to the organization and to my teammates. To be distracted. Um, you know, I had to be the best me I can be. And I think, you know, I was proud of how, you know, I was able to stay in the moment. And that has been a struggle for me, um, you know, as a young player in this league. And, you know, so I was staying conscious of being in the moment, and I was proud how I stayed there, especially throughout the playoffs and the regular season. So It was just all about, you know, worrying about today, and once tomorrow gets there, I worry about that. That's always who I— that's who I've been the last few years, just taking it day by day.

Achieving cult status right now in Dallas after his last two performances.

Durant! Oh, and a foul!

Kevin Durant throws it down! My goodness, Kevin Durant says to Brendan Haywood, excuse me, I got an appointment with the rim.

The odds were stacked against us. Single parent with two boys, by the time you were 21 years old, everybody told us we weren't supposed to be here. We moved from apartment to apartment by ourselves. One of the best memories I had is when we moved into our, our first apartment. No bed, no furniture, and we just all sat in the living room and just hugged each other because we— that's what we— we thought we made it. And when something good happens to you, I don't know about you guys, but I tend to look back to what brought me here. And you wake me up in the middle of the night, in the summertime, making me run up a hill, making me do push-ups, screaming at me from the sideline of my games at 8 or 9 years old. We wasn't supposed to be here. You made us believe. You kept us off the street, put clothes on our backs, food on the table. When you didn't eat, you made sure we ate. You went went to sleep hungry. You sacrificed for us. You're the real MVP.

Here is Durant for the win! Kevin Durant has won it at the buzzer!

What a sensational play and shot by Kevin Durant. That's how You win games at the buzzer.

Thank you guys so much for watching.

We made this video because Robin Sharma asked us to. If you'd like us to profile someone else, leave a message in the comments below.

I'd also love to know which of the top 10 rules meant the most to you, had the biggest impact. Leave in the comments and we'll join the discussion. So thank you guys again for watching. Continue to believe. And we'll see you soon.

My game is based upon being versatile. I think, you know, my biggest attribute is scoring the basketball. I think I find the rim in different ways. I think I'm a shot maker. You know, I could play inside and out. I'm still working on both parts of my game. I'm far from where I want to be. But, you know, I think with my length and my size, I can play inside and out.

I think about the future a lot. What steps do I have to take now for us to maybe be a championship team? Or what is it going to look like for me in 3 or 4 years?

What am I going to be doing?

Where am I going to be at?

What team am I going to play for?

I never thought I'd be able to impact people the way I have so far. I take pride in that.

I'm just a regular guy.

You know, I play ball on TV sometimes, and knowing that I can give them hope and inspire them has been something that's been like a dream come true.

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