On Tuesday, May 6, the NBA named Oklahoma City Thunder player Kevin Durant as its Most Valuable Player (MVP). That day, during a press conference staged by his team, Durant showed his true colors as an inspiring and authentic leader.
During his more than 25-minute, unscripted acceptance speech, Durant spent little time talking about his own skills on the court. Rather, he chose to speak about the gratitude and love he has for his fans, his team and his single-parent mother whose sacrifices made it possible for him to become what he is today.
Nearly half of his remarkable speech was dedicated to his teammates. Although he could have given a generic “thanks for your support” message, he chose instead to speak to each of his teammates individually, calling out the things each does that make him a better player and a better leader. Everyone on the team—from veterans to rookies—heard his name and learned how important he is to Durant and to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The attributes on which Durant focused when speaking of his teammates had little to do with basketball. He spoke of his relationship with them as people. We learned that Durant is inspired by Hasheem Thabeet’s smile and by Thabo Sefolosha’s selflessness. We learned that, after a tough stretch of games, Caron Butler slipped a piece of paper into Durant’s locker that read “KD MVP,” which touched Durant. We learned that Russell Westbrook “will run through a wall” for Durant and that he considers Serge Ibaka as a brother.
We learned many things about the Oklahoma City Thunder during Durant’s emotional speech. As he frequently fought back tears when talking of the men who made it possible for him to be named the league’s MVP (as well as scoring title holder), we learned that Durant’s humanity is a key element to his leadership style. Through watching his speech, we also learned what authenticity in leadership looks like.
According to Kevin Kruse’s “What is Authentic Leadership?” article in Forbes, most theorists agree that authentic leaders:
- Are self-aware and genuine. They show their real selves to their followers and don’t hide their mistakes or flaws out of fear of appearing weak. Durant regularly spoke of his own failures during the speech.
- Are driven and focused on results. They do the job in pursuit of results, not for their own power, money or ego. Durant’s efforts have paid off for himself, with the MVP and scoring titles, but have also brought light to his team and fellow players. This new title may also assist in additional advertising and ticket revenues for the organization.
- Lead with their heart, not just their minds. Authentic leaders aren’t afraid to show their emotions and vulnerabilities in order to connect. Durant’s speech was all heart, with many tears shed to prove it.
- Focus on the long term. Leaders realize that nurturing a company requires hard work and patience. Durant took time to address the many rookies who will likely be playing the game after he has retired.
Given that more than 2,000 articles have been published about Durant’s MVP speech, it’s clear that viewers have been moved by the authenticity with which he delivered it. Syndicated columnist Mark Shields—who doesn’t cover sports, by the way—shared his thoughts on the speech during his appearance on PBS NewsHour.
“It’s a tribute. It’s such a testimonial, and it’s so real,” Shields said. “What do we seek? We seek the authentic. We prize the real, the human, the humane, the unpretentious, the genuine. He was all of these things. And very few people knew about it. And it was just—it’s an absolutely touching exchange.”
If you haven’t had a chance to watch Kevin Durant’s MVP speech, treat yourself. You won’t regret the time spent to witness a stellar example of authenticity and leadership. Personally, I’ll be adding the speech to my media training toolbox as required viewing and an example to which my clients can aspire.