Kevin Durant is the second most popular rising star in Dallas.
Ranked ahead of him is the universally acknowledged heir to Shaquille O'Neal, Dwight Howard.
In terms of honors, Howard can hardly hold a candle to him.
In terms of commercial value, centers have always been at a disadvantage.
But like O'Neal, Howard enjoys playing the clown and amusing others, giving him a natural advantage in winning over fans.
In the eyes of outsiders, Durant too is an approachable star, but only Durant knows how much of his down-to-earth persona is an act.
It's like Paul Pierce trying to perfect his craft at acting school for a hundred years but still unable to replace Wang Baoqiang in the "Embarrassing" series. Durant is that Paul Pierce. If there were no point of reference, everyone might like him better, but the one he faces is Howard.