After a controversial decision to leave the Oklahoma City Thunder for the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016, Kevin Durant has faced an onslaught of criticism that is new to the NBA All-Star. In Issue 1273 of Rolling Stone Magazine, the basketball phenom opens up about his decision to follow his own dreams and leave behind a city and a team that he was loyal to for almost a decade. On the cover of the magazine, shown below, Durant is shot wearing the highly coveted Rolex Daytona 116500LN with the ceramic bezel.  

Kevin Durant on Rolling Stone Magazine Cover Wearing a  Rolex Daytona 116500LN

Durant was born in Washington DC and grew up in a part of town where he worried for his physical safety on a daily basis. He had two coaches that helped him develop the work ethic that eventually got him drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics in 2007 as the second overall pick. The team moved from Seattle to Oklahoma City and became the Thunder, the team he would dedicate the next eight years of his career to. In the Rolling Stone interview, Durant opens up about his disappointment in the team's management decisions and the difficulty he experienced making the call to tell them that he would be playing for the Warriors in 2016.

Known as one of the kindest NBA players, it is difficult to imagine him receiving a backlash after making the decision, like many before him, to go for a championship on a team with more than one or two MVPs. However, the player is channeling the criticisms into his work ethic, using the words to motivate him to make the most of his practices. Others may crumble under the pressure, but Durant's upbringing makes the challenges he faces in the NBA pale in comparison.

Even though Durant's jersey is a top seller, the basketball star isn't extremely ostentatious with his earnings. His choice in the ceramic stainless steel Daytona reveals a casual elegance in his style, opting for a hip yet modest timepiece compared to the diamond-paved, precious metal watches that many other professional athletes wear on their wrists. The NBA season is just getting started, so time will tell if Durant's decision to join Steph Curry and the Warriors will give them what they need to repeat their 2015 NBA Championship win. For more information on the Ceramic Daytona, check out my posts on the model by clicking here.

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