Sam Amick

USA TODAY Sports

OKLAHOMA CITY — The fingerprints were fresh on the window next to Kevin Durant, the screaming kids having followed the NBA's MVP from the steps of the Oklahoma State Capitol building to the black Chevy Suburban that barely escaped the adoring masses.

Another day of off-court work in his home away from home was almost done, Durant having charmed them all with his dance moves in a boogie battle with the state's governor, Mary Fallin, who championed the merits of fitness as a way to combat childhood obesity. But as Durant sat in the backseat outside his home, a three-story townhouse that's in the heart of Oklahoma City's downtown with his oil tycoon neighbors just a half-court shot away, the silliness segued into the serious as he discussed a dance of a different kind: his free agency in the summer of 2016 and the chatter surrounding his uncertain future that isn't going away anytime soon.

"We'll keep dancing around (the topic), and by the time it comes it's going to be even more awkward than it was, so it's not a surprise (that people ask him about it) because everybody wants to know," Durant told USA TODAY Sports. "But I'm taking it day by day with the Oklahoma City Thunder. That's my main concern. And whatever the future holds, I don't know, because I can't tell you the future. I'm going to take it a day at a time. I enjoy being here. I enjoy my teammates. I like the direction we're going in, and that's not just a cliché (expletive) answer. That's real."

As Durant made clear in a wide-ranging interview that came days before his 26th birthday, this is his new norm: real, unfiltered, and — surprising though it might be for those who know only the "Mr. Nice Guy" side of who he is — occasionally profane. From his free agency future to his decision to not take part in Team USA over the summer to the notion that LeBron James is still the best player on the planet, Durant was uncensored in ways that we haven't seen in years past.

It is, as he explained, all part of a personal evolution that is clearly liberating for him.

"I just realized that I'm just trying to be myself," Durant said. "When I'm upset, now I feel comfortable being upset. It's cool that I can be upset. I may cuss one time in an interview, or I may yell at my teammates. And it's all right. I understand that it's cool for me to be that way because that's me. I'm human, and I have times when I'm upset. I think that's what people didn't see.

"It's like I keep saying: I'm human. Some people look at professional athletes like superheroes and nothing is supposed to affect us. But sometimes it does, and sometimes I go off."

In that regard, the Thunder should take solace in his perspective on his future in Oklahoma City because, well, he means what he says. He does love Oklahoma City, this place he called "the perfect place for me" during his memorable MVP speech in early May. He is inspired by this group that surrounds him, from the Russell Westbrook-Serge Ibaka core that has more playoff experience than any team outside of the San Antonio Spurs to the support system of general manager Sam Presti and coach Scott Brooks with whom he has been building this program since 2008.

But if these past few years have taught Durant anything, it's that uncertainty is the only certain thing there is in pro sports. Westbrook went down with a meniscus tear in the 2013 playoffs that railroaded their efforts to return to the NBA Finals; the Ibaka calf injury last postseason helped the Spurs jump to a 2-0 series lead in the Western Conference finals and put them on their way; then Paul George's gruesome leg injury with Team USA in July ended his Indiana Pacers season before it began as Durant and so many others watched in horror on the floor of UNLV's Thomas & Mack Center.

The 2011 lockout, Durant says, changed him more than all the rest, those days when his burning desire to get back on the floor was unfulfilled for so many months because of what is so commonly known as "the business of basketball." As such, he's not about to pretend he knows what will happen two summers from now just to appease the locals. No matter how much he loves them.

But the Oklahoma City crowd isn't panicking — not even close. They know what the outsiders are saying, how his willingness to discuss free agency so openly at Team USA camp in July sparked all that chatter about his possible exodus to his hometown Washington Wizards. They also know that this is a mutual love affair between them and a boy who became a man here, one that Durant is still endorsing at every turn.

"I've been here for seven years now…growing up in this city," said Durant, the Seat Pleasant, Md. native who had just flown in from the Washington Redskins game the night before to attend the event. "When you spend so much time in one place, you feel a part of it, especially with some great years you feel a part of it. It's a huge part of my life, and I can't just come here and punch the clock, saying, 'Oh, I can't wait until July comes so I can leave (during the offseasons).' I never felt that way."

The local media knows this as much as anyone, which likely explains why they're giving him space on the topic. At Presti's 35-minute, season tip-off news conference Thursday at the team's practice facility, he wasn't asked one question about Durant's future.

"I love OKC," Durant said. "I always wanted to be a part of something bigger than just basketball. And what I told myself coming into the league was, 'This city is going to adopt me, I'm going to adopt this city, and we're going to grow together.' "

Inside the Thunder organization, the decision-makers' eyes are wide open to what these next two seasons mean. They know that a title would certainly increase their odds of keeping this group together, possibly securing their preferred script in ways that James' last two teams could not. It's undeniable that Durant is being watched closely in the context of his greatest rival, as James' lack of a title with the Cleveland Cavaliers led to his departure for the Miami Heat in 2010 and the Heat's loss to the Spurs in June sparked his return home.

Great players have great expectations and no shortage of opportunities to chase a championship elsewhere, and the question now is how Durant will play his hand when the time comes. But the Thunder's confidence about their long-term place in his heart is rooted in an impressive reality, a sense of pride in where they've been and where they're going that is acting as a shield to the din that surrounds Durant. There's an obvious hope, too, that he'd rather be remembered as a Tim Duncan- or Derek Jeter-type than take the free agency road that James and so many others have chosen.

"We know it's there, and we are looking forward to it — the opportunity to re-sign a legacy player — especially when you consider where our team could be at that point, with two more years of experience and cohesion and taking that into account," Presti told USA TODAY Sports. "We have to honor the season in front of us, because we have a tremendous opportunity to win right now and continue to build the tradition of the Thunder. We are fortunate to be in this position, and we want to capture and respect this moment. We have to put that anticipation in its place for now and not allow ourselves to get distracted from the present, regardless of what the future could look like for Kevin and the organization he has built with us, brick by brick."

Since they first became championship contenders in 2010, the Thunder have won 70.8% of their regular-season games while falling in the NBA Finals once and conference finals twice. The floor never fell out in the post-James Harden era, either, as they have been a more dominant regular-season team without the Houston Rockets guard (.725 winning percentage since his October 2012 trade) than they were at the height of the time with him (.712 winning percentage in his final season). That 2012-14 regular-season mark (119-45) is one game off the top mark during that span, the 120-44 combined record shared by the Spurs and the Heat. As elite as ever, in other words, and with plenty of time left to take it to the next level, considering Durant is the elder statesman of the core (Westbrook and Ibaka are 25).

There were no splashy additions this offseason, and even Durant has admitted his disappointment that free agent forward Pau Gasol chose the Chicago Bulls rather than joining them in the plains. But if the Thunder's history of superb talent selection and player development continues to repeat itself, point guard Reggie Jackson will take another step forward (both sides hope to agree on a contract extension by the Oct. 31 deadline), and the likes of Steven Adams, Jeremy Lamb and Perry Jones will make up for the loss of veterans such as Derek Fisher, Thabo Sefolosha and Caron Butler. And while Durant might occasionally indulge the questions about his future if only because he knows they won't go away, this is where his mind is at the moment.

"It was a big summer for us all," he said. "For me, I had to come in and get ready for the leadership side of it. That's what's going to be the fun part about it, where I can lead these guys night in and night out with my effort, my encouragement, my energy — the three E's. My head right now is that I'm ready to rock and roll, ready to get it started…from Day One.

"We've got to continue to just worry about today, today, and then tomorrow we'll worry about that when we get there. Once you start thinking that time is running out, I think that's when you put more pressure on yourself and you start to rush things and things start to get out of whack a little bit, so we've just got to take it one day at a time and we'll be fine."

The more Durant talks, the more it's clear that he's been censoring himself these past couple of years. The softer side remains away from the arena, of course, but he has long been ready to shed this image that he's the NBA's version of Mr. Rogers. As his latest Foot Locker commercial features him saying as he stares into a camera and shakes his head with confusion about the way he's perceived, "Too nice?"

"I've never been a punk on the court; never," he says, growing more animated. "Where I come from, you can't play unless you're like, 'Man, (expletive) that, I'm playing. You ain't getting me off the court.'

"My peers know. That's how I'll say it. My peers know that when they're playing against me, that I'm going to always keep coming — good or bad. I'm going to keep coming at you."

Somewhere along the way, Durant's pristine image had a ripple effect with which he's clearly not comfortable: He was seen by some as too passive. TNT analyst Charles Barkley, as he is wont to do, fed that fire in late February when he said Durant was still lacking that age-old skill known as killer instinct. Never mind that he tied for the league-lead in game-winning shots last season (three) and led the league in fourth-quarter scoring (an average of 7.9 points) and attempts (5.5).

Then less than three months later, the local Oklahoman newspaper threw a hefty log on that flame with a headline that read "Mr. Unreliable" (which its sports editor later apologized for) after Game 5 of the first-round playoff series against the Memphis Grizzlies. Durant responded by scoring 36 and 33 points, respectively, against an elite defense in those final two wins as the Thunder advanced.

"It offends me sometimes," Durant says about the criticism, "because I'm like, 'Man, I put in this work. God ...' "

A nerve has been struck.

"What I heard was that people would talk about me and say that I don't have that killer dog in me, like a Kobe (Bryant) or — who else? — like Mike (Jordan), and those guys have," he continues. "But I'm like, 'I wouldn't be able to survive this long in this league doing the stuff that I do at an elite level (if he didn't have it). I wouldn't be able to do it for seven straight years if I didn't have that it,you know?'

"And sometimes that may not equate to wins, or championships every year. (But) I feel as though I'm always consistent with what I do. I put in the work. And being the best player (in the NBA) is (now) a conversation. If you go out today and say, 'KD is the best player in the world,' that's a conversation. That's not the tell-all, be-all. So when people say, 'Oh, he might have been MVP, but he's not the best player in the world.' Well, I can argue it. We can all argue it."

The criticism kept coming in the summer, when Durant made the 11th-hour decision to pull out from the Team USA experience in early August. His choice came days after George had gone down and about three weeks before the national team was scheduled to begin its FIBA World Cup venture in Spain.

Yet despite so much speculation that he was taking the cautious route because of George's injury, and with some saying he left because of negotiations with Under Armour that were ongoing before he signed a 10-year, $250 million deal to stay with Nike, Durant insists he simply needed to rest after the long postseason.

"It was a very hard choice, because I wanted to play," he said. "If it was just games (with Team USA), like straight games, it would have been perfect. But the travel and the practice and the shoot-a-rounds, it was something where I (said), 'All right, I've got to really scale back a little bit and get ready for our season.'

"I love Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) and (program director) Mr. (Jerry) Colangelo, because they understood everything. I didn't want it to overshadow what they were doing, so that's why I kind of felt bad about it. But at the same time, I knew I had to do it for myself, and this was one of the first decisions basketball-wise that was like, 'All right, this is just for me. I'm worried about me right now. I was a little selfish, and sometimes that makes people, it made a lot of people, uncomfortable."

And to those who don't agree or understand?

"Seriously, to be honest, I was like '(expletive) 'em.' You can write that, too. Seriously, though. I'm just going to be me, man, and that's how I felt.

"I was happy I took the hits, like, 'All right, that's going to teach me to be strong and not worry about what everybody has got to say.' I heard it all — 'you don't care about your country' to 'you're soft' to all of that. Well I don't care. These people don't know me. They don't know the work I've put in. They don't know that I've done (the FIBA tournament) before, so it made me stronger."

There's a correlation that's worth watching going forward, this idea that Durant's recent penchant for selfishness is making him mentally tougher. It rings hollow in the simplistic sense but adds up in an interesting way when described by Durant himself.

He was selfish out of necessity last season, when Westbrook's late-December surgery on his right knee put the ball in Durant's hands more than ever before and he responded by averaging 35 points, 7.5 rebounds and 6.3 assists in that 26-game span (the Thunder were 19-7 in those games). He kept it going even after Westbrook returned, when Durant sent the strongest message yet that he had plenty of alpha dog in him.

"I don't like when guys say I'm not worried about the individual stuff," Durant said about winning his first MVP award. "You are, because in order for your team to be good — for me to be the leader — I've got to do what I have to do and that means going out there and performing. So I am worried about the individual (accolades), because I know that's going to help the team.

"Sometimes you've got to be selfish in that (sense), where you want to put your best out there on the floor knowing that somebody is watching and knowing that you can elevate everybody else's game. I'm selfish in that fact. I'm not selfish in like, 'I've got to get 30 (points), and if we lose it's cool.' I'm not that type of guy."

That used to be Westbrook's role to have all his own, but their contrasting identities — one so fiery and ferocious, the other so smooth and serene — have meshed more than ever in recent years as they've become the league's top one-two punch. Westbrook won't be a free agent until the summer of 2017, meaning Durant won't be able to share this free agency stage with his longtime running mate.

"Our relationship has grown a lot, and it's one of those things where it would definitely be difficult to not be running up and down the court with him, so I try not to even think about that," Durant says. "But at the same time, I just want to enjoy the moment and not worry about the future, even though it's tough to. I go home, and everybody asks me. Man, it's crazy. Like little kids, 4 years old, 'You coming to the Wizards?' Man, (expletive), how do you know about this? At 4 years old, I didn't even know what basketball players were. How do you know about free agency?"

If Durant is going to share this experience with anyone more than the rest, it's the 37-year-old Presti. The GM is the one who must navigate these personnel waters, improving the roster to ensure the Thunder remain title contenders while maintaining Durant's trust all the while. To that end, the foundation that has already been laid is extremely solid.

"(Presti) doesn't look at us as numbers, (and) that's when you really start to appreciate what he brings," Durant said. "We have such a great relationship. I've known him since I was 18 years old. He has watched me grow up. We've had a lot of dialogue between, 'What do you think about this guy — how is this guy doing?' And he asks me because he values my opinion, and that's what I love about him as well, is that we can talk about those types of things. But he also gives me space, so it's a great thing. That culture is important, because you're not just walking on that court with these guys."

There is an order of business that he's watching closely, though, that being the Reggie Jackson situation that has some similarities with the Harden ordeal. Yet in stark contrast to Harden, Jackson won't be demanding a maximum-salary extension by the Oct. 31 deadline or sending signals that he wants out without one. Presti made it clear last week that he still sees Jackson as part of the core even if they don't get a deal done now, though it remains to be seen if Jackson's desire to be a starter will be granted.

"We've seen it play out, so I'm sure those guys are going to handle it differently," Durant said of Jackson's situation in the context of Harden. "So I trust in them, and whatever happens it's all about working stuff out. Reggie is one of my best friends. When he first came in, that's like the guy that I got to know. We're really close, and I want the best for him and I want the best for our team. To be honest, I want the best for him first, because that's my friend, that's my brother. But we'll see. I think what's best for him is staying here with us."

None of these free agency factors need to be explained to Thunder fans, who wish this conversation would just go away until the 2015-16 season is over. They know Durant doesn't want to look too far ahead just yet, and so — as was the case during the governor's event that preceded the candor inside the car — they yell things at him like "I love you Kevin!" rather than grill him on his thought process. In turn, the Mr. Nice Guy persona is on full display like it always is in these settings.

Before all the madness on the Capitol Hill steps, Durant took a tour inside the governor's office with his longtime friend and manager, Charlie Bell, media relations manager Matt Tumbleson and a few members of the Thunder security team. He met 59-year-old Fallin in the hallway, where she was waiting with a warm handshake and a one-liner.

"Hey, great job on my cousin's show!" she joked of his appearance on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon just a few nights before.

Just before they headed outside to share their meaningful message with the hundreds of kids, Fallin spoke for the whole great state as they spoke inside her office.

"You guys are making an impact and putting Oklahoma on the face of the earth," she said with a smile.

In those moments before Durant finally left, there were young boys standing speechless when his frame loomed so large over them and state police officers who posed for pictures with the star player before the mass of children came their way. A middle-aged woman stood alone nearby, her calm demeanor such a contrast to the kids who were coming on fast.

"Can I just shake your hand?" she said, her arm extended.

"When you see stuff like that, it makes you have a heart for a city," Durant explained. "I'm excited that I'm a part of something so huge.

"We were the first team here, and I'm sure long after I'm done playing, I'm going to feel as if we were pioneers of this. That's what makes me want to fight as hard as I can every single day and really embrace where I am."

Regardless of what these next two years might hold.

Sam Amick covers the NBA for USA TODAY Sports. Contact him at sramick@usatoday.com. Follow him on twitter at @sam_amick.