During the best stretch of Kevin Durant's basketball career where he scored at least 30 points in 12 straight games, the Internet community called for the Oklahoma City Thunder forward to get branded with a new nickname. Then, it came: "The Slim Reaper."
Kevin Durant isn’t touting ‘The Slim Reaper’ nickname
Kevin Durant doesn’t really like his new nickname, but he knows it might not matter a whole lot.
Kevin Jairaj-US PRESSWIRE
Durant apparently doesn’t like it. He told The Oklahoman’s Darnell Mayberry that “KD” will do just fine.
“I’m here to shine a bright light,” Durant said. “I’m not here to be a guy of, I guess, death. I just like KD better.”
While he’s not too hot on the new nickname, Durant did admit that he’s not about to go making up his own. Everyone else likes it, so he’ll have to deal with it. And if Nike decides to run with The Slim Reaper in making a special colorway for his shoe line, well, Durant said he can’t really stop the shoe company, either.
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The Slim Reaper nickname came about in the last week, and Photoshop jobs similar to the following popped up online.
Kevin Durant: The Slim Reaper pic.twitter.com/OGy7F9n5R6
— Funny Basketball (@BasketballPics) February 1, 2014 Cynics might believe an inorganic marketing ploy is to blame for all of this.
Nike has used past news bits on Durant to create special-editions shoes -- the KD IV “Weatherman” came about because Durant revealed he was a weather aficionado as a kid and the KD 6 “Aunt Pearl” was a tribute to his late aunt. Last year, Foot Locker and Nike made this commercial starring Durant, who was introduced with a less-than-impressive nickname leading up to a fictional streetball game.
Durant, meanwhile, is fine going by his initials.
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