This is a picture of Kevin Durant wearing a hat. This we can agree on.
But after that? Well, it’s up to you.
My guess is when a person from Seattle sees the picture seen above, they mostly feel sad. There are the obvious reasons — the last franchise player for the SuperSonics, wearing a nice classic snap-back depicting the colors and icons of the defunct franchise — but there are other reasons, as well. It’s somewhat jarring to see the green hat perched atop the head of the Thunder’s past (which doesn’t exist), present and future as he wears the practice garb of the team the Sonics became. Indeed, Kevin Durant’s exploits as a Sonic happened while he was a dazzling but imperfect rookie, youthfully playing while the team trudged its way in the through a grouchy, dour final season in Seattle. It’s not a terribly pleasant experience to immerse oneself in the realities of the brief Kevin Durant era in the Pacific Northwest, while at the same time, pondering what could have been if the stewardship of the Sonics had been more responsible, and the NBA was a much different place.
At the same time, a person from Oklahoma City might see this picture, and angrily say to themselves, What the hell, man? No, the arrival of the team in the lower midwest (or, northeastern south? The eastern southwest?) was neither clean nor celebrated. But hey, the team’s there, now. It had a good run in Seattle, but now it’s in a place where it suffers through nightly sell-outs, national television appearances, and deep runs into the postseason. The present is mighty fine, indeed, and Kevin Durant is a –if not the – major reason why. To see KD wear a Sonics hat while he represents Oklahoma City (in the playoffs, no less) must feel a bit like seeing a new spouse wearing the wedding ring from a previous marriage. Wear a Mariners hat, if you must, that person from Oklahoma City might mutter, their mouths turned down in disgust. But don’t wear a Sonics hat. Be better than that.
But even more bizarrely, a person in Sacramento might see this picture, and feel anything from panic to frustration. The battle for the Kings rages on (even as we speak), and through a remarkable series of events, California’s capitol city has become the sacrificial alter where a capitalist Binding of Isaac will almost certainly take place. The outcome of this conflict is not known — despite what any source says, or any fan angrily declares, no one can predict the actions of millionaires and billionaires when actual money is at stake — and is not likely to be known any time soon. But people still try and find meanings etched on walls, dropping lazily to the ground like tea leaves. Surely there’s a meaning in KD wearing a Sonics hat, especially on this day, while the NBA and its shareholders meet in New York City to continue the discussion on how the execution of the Kings as we currently know them should be carried out.
A picture of Kevin Durant, taken on a mobile device, posted on the internet. A simple, modern thing, really.
Yet, it is truly interesting how a picture depicting a singular image can carry so many meanings, for so many different people. That, thankfully, will never change.