Kevin Durant’s Cupcakes

From Hometown Hero to Hometowns Most Hated

This blog looks to outline the change in Kevin Durant’s brand, as he goes from a hometown hero to the hometowns most hated from an athletes’ perspective.

The Origins:

Kevin Durant, one of the greatest players inside and outside of the arena. This is the focal point of KD’s career and his legacy, an all-around athlete. He was involved heavily within the Oklahoma City community and was extremely devoted to his team. This would all eventually change.

 

As a former athlete and fan of the sport, you understand the importance of relationships, involvement, and chemistry. We thrive on great teammates and great support for the community, it is only right for us to give back to both. When I was in high school I played many sports, but we realized what we give we get, more involvement, more support. Kevin Durant brought life back to the communities and ultimately gave nine years to the city. He gave nine years to his family, also known as his teammates.

 

His brand was about to take a massive PR hit. His brand was going to change in the blink of an eye. His brand image is now a cupcake.

 

The Controversy:

July 4^th, 2016, Kevin Durant stunned the world. This is the day everyone found out his decision; This is the day that changed his image. Kevin Durant announces through a blog post, he will be moving to the team who he had on the brink of elimination, the team he lost to, the super-team. This is the day, everything changed, the day he became a “Cupcake” in his once called home.

 

The problem? He did not tell any of his ‘family’, not even his best friend on the team. Everyone found out he was leaving, the same way the world found out. They all found out he was leaving to their rivals, with no personal outing. In my own experiences, losing a friend and teammate is crushing. When you realize, they won’t be there the next season is what hurts most.

 

I have had many friends come and go as we grew older and switch leagues and teams, that situation is what hurts. When you have a leader in the community and a leader on the court, the gravity of the situation is amplified.

 

The Aftermath:

The term cupcake is derived from his love for cupcakes. This may sound positive, but his former community turned his love against him. They use this term to describe how soft he is as person and player. They believe he is weak and reflects what he loves, cupcakes. Not only his is image attacked, but his great footprint behind him is in question.

 

“I’m viewing this as the weakest move I’ve ever seen from a superstar…You are the superstar and you depart for the team that beat you? You’re jumping on the bandwagon. I don’t think there’s any way you can deny that.” – Stephen A. Smith

 

Analysts and reporters are calling his move the worst and weakest move by any athlete in history. They believe just like the community he is weak and needed help to win. This move was a terrible brand move; he now faces the negative reviews of his personal brand and his professional brand. Both are reflected as a weak individual. His teammates are now holding massive grudges, clashing at any chance they get.

 

Final Thoughts:

As a former athlete, I understand the move and the outcome. Though it is not the politically correct move for an athlete, it is his own life decision and a business decision. You must do what is best for you in the end. Your brand is always in the spotlight when you make an impact on and off the court.

 

Please comment below what you think of this move and the impact it had on his brand. If you enjoyed the post, please share or like this blog! If you want more content, hit the follow button on right side of the screen to receive email updates for future posts.

Thank you!

The 4 quarters of my life

Hi everyone, I apologize if this first post is rather rough, but you have to start somewhere. This first post is going to be a snapshot of my life recreated through 4 quarters, because that is what my blogs are about Branding within the Sports Industry. Now this first blog is intended to be fun and serious, while giving you an understanding of who i am and simple advice you can apply to your life. If you would like to know more about me personally please visit the ‘About Me‘ section of my site.

1st Quarter: The first quarter of my life is pretty simple, the childhood. It gets pretty funny if you ask me. As a child i was definitely a mamas boy and did not want anyone else, I knew this and so did everyone else around me. My mom is a teacher and I was at the same elementary school that she taught at which is mistake one. Every day until 4th grade, I would cry and cry until i was switched into her class or she came to visit me. THIS IS NOT A JOKE. I cried every single day. It got so bad that i eventually had to move schools and find a way to survive at school without my mom. On my first day of fourth grade i cried and cried, because my mom was not there. Over time it got better, it just took awhile to adjust. My advice is to don’t be scared to switch things in life. When you get comfortable things get harder to change. Don’t be intimidated by change.

2nd Quarter: During high school, i was never an A+ student, I actually never thought I was going to college, but somehow I made it here and I am beyond glad that I did. I did not take education seriously and it drastically impacted my transition in college. I eventually turned everything around and became a National Collegiate Scholars nominee and also received a UNCo Scholars scholarship for my academic performance. My biggest advice would be never to give up or stop trying, you never know what you can accomplish. If you give up you may lose an opportunity of your life that you may never get back.

3rd Quarter: When I was younger, my step dad and I were constantly butting heads. I was too young to understand who he was and what he was doing for us. While i was constantly attacking him, he was creating a better life for my family. I did not understand that he was not only serving our family, but our country as well. My step father is now my biggest supporter in life and has sought out to give us everything and anything in order to succeed, before he took care of himself. I cannot be any more thankful for the sacrifices he made for us and everyone else around the world. My biggest advice is to accept everyone, you don’t truly know a book from a few pages. People can change your world in the blink of an eye, but without acceptance you would never know, until they change another persons world.

4th Quarter: During my freshman year of college I made one of the worst mistakes of my life. One night I was skateboarding down a hill, keep in mind i don’t skateboard, and never have and never will again. Anyways, i was going down this big hill and I saw a crack in the ground, which I thought was big, others didn’t and I decided to jump off the board. For some reason I jumped not onto the grass next to me, but the concrete ground on the other side of me. I have a huge road rash scar on my hip now and I will probably never ride a skateboard again, but it is an experience that I will always remember and laugh at. My advice here is to live without fears, do something you don’t normally do and just do it. Don’t let fear stop you from living life.

I hope you enjoyed this post and through the funny and serious stories, you understood the underlying messages and can apply these to your personal and professional endeavors.

Please feel free to like, share, or comment on this first post. I would love to hear what i could do better and what you liked.

Thank you!

Jordan B. Sparks