Say what you want about Kevin Durant, but one thing is for sure — he loves the game of basketball.

Whether it’s coming to tears when talking about competing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, or engaging in thoughtful discussions about the state of the NBA with reporters, the passion that the Phoenix Suns star has for the game illuminates off of him.

More recently, Durant was asked to share his thoughts on who should be the face of the NBA, an ever-growing discussion as the careers of LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Durant near an end.

His response, as always, was thoughtful, engaging and authentic.

“I keep hearing that, what is the face of the league?,” Durant retorted to a reporter after the Suns practiced at his alma mater, University of Texas, before their matchup with the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday. “What does that entail? What do you do when you are the face of the league?

“It seems like it’s more than basketball… I think it’s a little bit more than (being the best player), because (Anthony Edwards) is playing great ball, and they’re saying that he’s not fit to be the face of the league. Or Luka (Dončić) is playing great and sometimes people don’t, and then they’re saying international players can’t be— like, I don’t understand what the ‘face of the league’ is and what that entails.

“I think all of these guys have impact in their cultures of basketball. So many players are probably watching Victor (Wembanyama), or Ant, or Luka, and try to emulate what they do everyday. And they’re also watching them off the court to see what they do in their personal lives as well.

“So, with the access, I think so many guys got the opportunity to make a huge impact as the (motioning quotations with his hands) ‘face of the league’ because they’re inspiring so many people so easily… the access is there for everybody to watch and see what they go through.”

Durant has long been part of this discussion, even during James’ reign as, arguably, the greatest basketball player of all time. The 36-year-old All-Star is starting to adopt a mindset that multiple people can represent the NBA and be the “face,’ much like he is alongside James and Curry.

“A lot of these guys,” Durant added, “regardless of where they come from, are impacting people all around the word. It’s not just one guy, it’s not just two guys, it’s a whole generation and era of players that’s going to impact the world in a different way than the guys before them.”

So, who will be the face of the NBA once Durant, James and Curry hang it up for good? Nikola Jokic? Giannis Antetokounmpo? Edwards? Wemby? Doncic? Cooper Flagg? It’s hard to tell, but Kevin Durant, as a steward of the game, assures that the league will be in great hands regardless.