NBA Finals 2012: Kevin Durant Admits to Being Nervous

Jun 14, 2012 03:46 PM EDT

We all know this is Kevin Durant's first appearance in the NBA Finals, but you could not tell by the way he played in Game 1.

He went up against the best NBA player, LeBron James, but that did not scare him.

When his team was down by 13 points, he brought them back.

When his team needed to seal the victory, he scored 17 in the final quarter.

So what exactly rattled Durant's nerves?

"I think all the stuff before the game made me a little nervous. You know, there's intros and all the media here," Durant said to reporters in the postgame of Game 1. 

Oklahoma City plays in a small market. The NBA Finals spotlight is definitely something they have not experienced before. 

Durant might shy away from the attention of the media, but once the whistle blows and the game starts, he goes back to the basics.

"You get used to it once the ball gets tipped. It goes back to being a kid, just playing the game."

And play the game he did, scoring 36 points in his first ever championship series.  

Throughout his NBA career, Durant has been known for hitting buzzer beaters, so he knows a little bit about pressure.

It would be interesting to see how Durant reacts if placed in a pressure situation.

By pressure I do not mean coming back from a seven-point deficit at the half, I mean the team is down by two and they need Durant to either win it, tie it or lose it with seconds left.

Guaranteed there will be nobody downloading "Doo Doo Jump," if the situation arises.

Chances are that Durant's calm, cool and collected attitude will help the Thunder win through any situation. 

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