Topic:
Different kinds of motivation in the sporting industry
Source:
Solotaroff, Paul. “Kevin Durant: Why the NBA Superstar Had to Blow Up His Life to Get His Shot.” Rolling Stone. Rolling Stone, 19 Oct. 2016. Web. 05 Feb. 2017. <http://www.rollingstone.com/sports/features/kevin-durant-had-to-blow-up-his-life-to-get-his-shot-w445344>.
I’ve been a basketball fan for the majority of my life, and while I’m fascinated by the on court action, I find the backstage aspect of sports equally exciting. There is a certain satisfaction in having an inside look on sports, to be able to see the player trades, contract negotiations, and seeing how team general managers claw and fight over established talent.
Rarely is it the case that a franchise defining player jumps ship to another team. Fortunately for fans, at the end of the 2015-16’ season, Kevin Durant, the poster boy for the Oklahoma City Thunder, signed with the Golden State Warriors, one of the most dominant teams in NBA history. Obviously, the move was followed by much backlash from the Oklahoma fans, and much fanfare from the Golden State supporters.
When Durant made the shift, I started thinking about what exactly motivated him to move. The simple answer would be that Durant has won multiple awards over his Oklahoma tenure, but failed to capture the lucrative NBA championship ring, given to every member of the playoff winning team annually. Therefore, his failure to capture the NBA title is what motivated him to join the most dominant team in the league. This would suggest he is extrinsically motivated, and switched solely to cement his legacy as an NBA legend.
However, further research suggests that Durant made the move in order to develop himself as a player and a person. He felt that the Golden State’s fast paced game was much more suited to his skillset. This would suggest that Durant was intrinsically motivated, as the move was triggered by his desire to grow internally as a basketball player.
It is difficult to reach a conclusion about whether Kevin Durant’s move to the Warriors was fueled by intrinsic or extrinsic motivation. However, based on the status that Durant had achieved in Oklahoma City, one would be inclined to believe that his move was caused by a combination of both kinds of motivation.
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