Enemy No. 1
Last June, Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin pledged to give Kevin Durant a Cabinet seat “on health and fitness” if he chose to stay with the Thunder after dabbling in free agency. It didn’t do any good. Despite previous statements to the contrary, the one-time National Basketball Association Most Valuable Player opted to change addresses. On the Fourth of July, he declared his independence from the only franchise he had played for since being drafted second overall in 2007. Considering the backlash Durant faced as a result of his decision (which became all the more questionable because fellow Thunder All- Star Russell Westbrook subsequent inked a contract extension), it was no surprise to seem him cement his status as Public Enemy No. 1. His jerseys were burned, his posters were ripped off walls, and former fans circled Feb. 11, 2017 on their calendars (pursing their lips in anticipation of the boos they would rain down on him in his first appearance as a Warrior at Chesapeake Energy Arena).
Of the drive displays of derision, the most ridiculous — and, at the same time, most striking — has been that calling for a change in the name of Durant, Oklahoma. It doesn’t matter that the city was named after businessman and civic leader Dixon Durant, who established its first general merchandise store in 1873. Forget that even the pronunciations don’t match, with the player’s surname having less of an emphasis on “u.” As far as Change.org petitioner Ryan Nazari of Edmon, Oklahoma is concerned, the fact that the city with a population of 15,856 bears the same name as the disgraced citizen of the state is enough to ask Fallin to change it to, you guessed it, Westbrook.
Three days ago, the petition was created with a target of 1,000 online signatures. Since then, however, 2,601 has been collected, with the next milestone set at 5,000. It’s fair to contend that the endeavor will have legs, especially since every impact Durant will make on the court from here on will serve as, in Nazari’s words, “another hideous reminder of what happened to our community.” On the other hand, Fallin and Durant city mayor Stewart Hoffman are expected to attend to more pressing matters. A fitting sign of protest or an unhealthy exercise in flogging? You be the judge.
Considering the backlash Durant faced as a result of his decision (which became all the more questionable because fellow Thunder All-Star Russell Westbrook subsequent inked a contract extension), it was no surprise to seem him cement his status as Public Enemy No. 1.