We’ve talked a lot about how Kevin Durant has emerged as a legitimate rim protector since joining the Golden State Warriors. Durant is nearly 7’ tall with incredible wing span and great athleticism — there’s no reason he can’t consistently swat shots. Last season, he did it consistently.
This season, he’s apparently adding another dimension to his rim protection: Doing it without a shoe.
You can see Durant, his right foot shoe-clad, his left one with only a sock. Here’s how it happened.
Durant picked up the shoe, but he realized there wasn’t nearly enough time to put it back on. Instead of worrying about it, he tossed it to the bench.
Smart play, given Durant basically didn’t lose any effectiveness despite the missing shoe. But also, this is why I don’t wear KD Nikes when I play basketball — a hightop probably isn’t going to fly off mid game, you know?