If you buy the headlines, then the 2012 NBA Finals is a chance for two of the NBA's best players -- perhaps the single best two players -- to face off against each other. Kevin Durant and LeBron James are largely regarded among the best players in the league, and they both are looking for their first ring. LeBron's is a long-time coming while Durant is on the front end of his career. However, the showcase that's coming is not even on Durant's mind as the Thunder and Heat get set to square off.
"First, all I think about is the Thunder versus the Heat, that's all," he said. "I know everybody in here is worried about the one‑on‑one match‑up, but I can't really control that. All I can control is how hard I play and how we play as a team."
"I mean, that's a sexier match‑up, I guess," Durant continued. "But I don't read newspapers, I don't get on Twitter anymore, I just focus on what I need to do and what we need to do as a team. To be honest, really, outside of me knowing what you guys are thinking, that's all I've heard about the match‑up is from you guys."
That's the best possible answer coming from a team superstar like Durant if he wants to have a serious chance at adding an NBA championship to his resume. The Heat and Thunder both are going to need each player focused on one thing and one thing only: executing the team's game plan against their opponent game by game. Anything else is a distraction and serves to upend the overall course of action.
"It's never been a question," said head coach Scott Brooks. "We've always done everything as a team. That's what makes us a good team, that we defend as a team, we're continuing to improve offensively as a team, but it's always about our guys in the locker room."
For more on the 2012 NBA Finals between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Miami Heat check out Welcome To Loud City and Peninsula Is Mightier. For more news and notes from around the NBA head over to SB Nation's NBA Basketball page.