Rewind: Season 1, Ep. 1: 2-Time NBA Finals MVP Kevin Durant

If you’re new to our show, each of the previous 12 seasons have had a different theme, a different format, and a different approach to unpacking and dissecting both individual and organizational performance.

These Rewind episodes take a look back at some my favorite shows in case you missed them the first time around… or in case you’d like to give them a second listen.

I hope you enjoy, and more importantly, I hope this Rewind episode helps you Raise Your Game!

You may know him as 2-time NBA champion, back-to-back NBA Finals MVP, perennial All-Star and the newest member of the Brooklyn Nets, but did you know that Kevin Durant launched the Durant Company in 2016 with business partner Rich Kleiman. They have invested in 30+ companies like the delivery service Postmates and the micro-investing app Acorns, as well as created their own development and media firm, Thirty Five Media.

Here are several isolated responses from an in-person conversation we had with KD when he was still with the Oklahoma City Thunder, at his Nike Summer Skills Academy in Washington, DC – back when I co-hosted the Hardwood Hustle. KD shared why his love for the game always comes first, the difference between playing on edge and playing with an edge and why being born with talent means nothing if you aren’t willing to put in the work to develop it.

What makes the best the best? Ultimately the best are where they are because of the mindset, habits, and rituals they have—both in their respective “arenas,” but also in private, during the unseen hours. Success isn’t something that happens to you. It's something you attract and you create. Successful people do the little things better than everyone else because they know all the big things arise from them. The highest performers in all walks of life have taken full ownership. They got to where they are and have stayed there because they have chosen to establish, tweak and repeat positive habits. They understand that you can’t be selective when it comes to excellence, that how we do anything is how we do everything.

Sustain Your Game teaches you how to bring your A game to every area of your life. With advice from top CEOs, journalists, social scientists, and more, you'll learn the framework for how to beat stress, stagnation, and burnout. Sustain Your Game will help you be the best in your arena, wherever that may be.

Sustain Your Game if available now at http://www.SustainYourGameBook.com

Please make sure to join the conversations at @AlanSteinJr on all major social platforms, go to AlanSteinJr.com to subscribe to my Game Changer monthly emails.

Additionally, you can order the audiobook of Raise Your Game: High Performance Secrets from the Best of the Best at http://www.Audible.com or wherever audiobooks are sold. You can also order paperback or hard copies, for you or your entire team or organization, at http://www.RaiseYourGameBook.com. 

I’ve been in the lab the past several months reorganizing and revamping my content. The result? Four standalone keynote programs that address four separate audiences:

• INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR GAME)
• LEADERSHIP PERFORMANCE (RAISE THEIR GAME)
• ORGANIZATIONAL PERFORMANCE (RAISE OUR GAME)
• SALES PERFORMANCE (RAISE YOUR SALES)

For more information on each program, please visit AlanSteinJr.com or reach out directly to Michelle Joyce (my amazing Director of Events): [email protected] or 704.965.2339