Kirschman: Durant a class act, unlike James

This NBA offseason, LeBron James used an hour-long ESPN special to announce “The Decision”… This NBA offseason, LeBron James used an hour-long ESPN special to announce “The Decision” to “take his talents to South Beach.”

Then Dan Gilbert went off on how James deserted Cleveland and quit on the team in the playoffs.

Then James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh pranced around in their uniforms on a smoky stage in Florida, while experts debated whether the Heat should just be declared the NBA Champions now, or if James and Wade would have to split up when they realized there was only one basketball, and they’d have to share it.

And while James used the rest of the summer to sit around thinking of more ways to make the entire sports world revolve around him, Kevin Durant quietly won a world championship, making the United States the first team to qualify for the 2012 Olympics.

How refreshing.

Durant might be four years younger than James, but he’s light-years more mature. Not to mention likeable. And humble.

Unlike James, Durant didn’t need a television special to announce his offseason decisions, he simply signed his contract extension, then tweeted about his choice.

James wasn’t interested in playing with Team USA’s “B-Team” this summer, but perhaps he should have been. It couldn’t have hurt his image, that’s for sure. And when James does rejoin Team USA, he — as well as Wade and Kobe Bryant, for that matter — might be surprised to find that the spotlight got a little bit more crowded.

If his play before this summer didn’t put him in the conversation, Durant’s performance in the world championships cemented his place in the endless discussion of “Who is the best player in the league?”

Durant led the United States to its first World Basketball Championship in 16 years, and  along the way he broke the record for most points scored in the tournament by a U.S. player and won the tournament’s Most Valuable Player award.

He scored 33, 38 and 28 points in the United States’ last three games against Russia, Lithuania and Turkey, respectively.

His 38 points against Lithuania set another U.S. record for most points in a single game, passing Carmelo Anthony’s mark of 35. He hit a tournament-record seven 3-pointers in the championship game against Turkey.

Durant agreed to play in the World Championships when the gold medalists from the 2008 Olympics said no. In the end, Durant and the so-called “B-Team” did what the “A-Team” couldn’t do four years ago — they brought home gold. And the 21-year-old prolific scorer led it in spectacular fashion.

There will definitely be a place for Durant on the Olympic team for London in 2012.

If his performance in the world championships is any indication, NBA fans — and Oklahoma City fans, in particular — have plenty to look forward to this season. Durant finished second to James in MVP voting last season, but with the leadership experience he gained over the summer, that award could end up in Durant’s hands at the end of this year.

After all, James and Wade — not to mention Bosh — will have their hands full battling for the Most Valuable Player on their own team, let alone in the league.

Who’s not anxious to see how that collision of egos works out?

Durant has improved each year he’s been in the league and with improvement comes expectations and demands for better play, more wins and eventually, a championship. Right now, he’s an under-the-radar superstar, but that’ll soon change.

When Durant does win an NBA Championship, and what I believe will be championships, I hope he remains the same kind of person off the court that he is now: a player who talks more about the team than himself and who wrote “9-11-01” on his shoes before the United States’ game on September 11.

With the stardom about to rush his way, it wouldn’t be shocking for Durant to start to crave attention much like James and Bryant.

At the moment, though, for a player so focused and deadly on the court, Durant reverts back into a quiet, modest and polite young man off the floor.

It’s a shocking thing to see from an NBA superstar.

Here’s hoping the fame won’t change him.