As a 'black man,' Durant wonders where he'd be if he didn't play basketball

Kevin Durant is recognized as an NBA superstar for the Golden State Warriors by millions worldwide. When he looks at himself in the mirror, though, the former league Most Valuable Player sees a "black man," which is an identity Durant now views in an entirely different light.

Talking to The Mercury News' Logan Murdock, Durant discussed race, and how he would be perceived were he not a basketball player - a job title which has protected him from the trials and tribulations other minorities around him have gone through:

Finally waking up, to be honest. Just kind of seeing how rough it is for an average black man, you know what I'm saying? And on top of that, a black man makes one mistake … I see how far we get pushed down. For me, I kind of grew up in this basketball world, whereas my talent kind of overrides what I look like.

I didn't have it as rough when it comes to that, as far as social or systematic oppression or any social issues. They didn't really apply to me because I could put a ball in a basket. Just me saying that kind of woke me up a little bit, like "Damn, that's all I'm good for?" Like, if I wasn't a basketball player, what kind of man would they look at me as, you know what I'm saying?

In terms of what value can I bring to you outside of playing basketball. I bring a lot of value to people as far as how I treat them, how I encourage them, how I just try to be a good person to them. I feel there's like a lot of black men that have those traits, but they often just get stereotyped or judged off of one incident or not given a second chance.

So if I find something that's empowering to people that look like me, I just try to send a subtle message that I got your back and I hear you and I try to inspire you as much as I can from just being in this world as a black man coming up, even though I was looked at and viewed a little differently for it. But I'm still a black man. I understand where you're coming from.

Durant brought up how close friends of his would get into trouble on the streets, and deal with drugs and other illegal activity, adding that his mother grew up in that world, as did his brother. The fact that he played basketball, though, helped keep him away from that environment, since he was always honing his craft.

Had basketball not been there, Durant wonders what his life would have looked like.

"I didn't have it as rough when it comes to that, as far as social or systematic oppression or any social issues. They didn't really apply to me because I could put a ball in a basket," Durant added. "Just me saying that kind of woke me up a little bit, like, 'Damn, that's all I'm good for?' Like, if I wasn't a basketball player, what kind of man would they look at me as, you know what I'm saying?"