46 AMERICANWAY
NOVEMBER 1 2007
For the last leg of their marathon photo session, the lensman, hoping to snare
a faux-casual shot or three, has themwalk together outside Seattle’s Key Arena.
“You’re talking, talking, talking,”he caws.As theymove toward the camera, awhite
van inches toward them frombehind, itsdriverand thephoto-shootpartyoblivious
to eachother’s presence. As the potential peril dawns onnearby observers, the van
stops in its tracks, and the driver barks something or other out thewindow, likely
havingno ideawho thesepeopleare that henearly steamrolled.
Bird and Durant barely notice, wrapped up as they are in conversation about
Seattleand itshot spots.Durant, of course, is “theChosenOne,” thephenomwhose
arrival as the secondpick in the2007NBAdraft has Sonics fans thinking Jordan-
esque thoughts. Bird,meanwhile, is a veteran both on and off the court. The pure
point guard relishes involvingher teammateson the court, and she’shappy to serve
as an ambassador for the citywhen she’s off the court— even now, she’s willingly
schoolinghernew rookiepal on everything that Seattlehas tooffer.
A few hours earlier, uponmeeting the shy, almost pathologically politeDurant
for thefirst time,Bird letflyagiggle. “Kevin, he’snotgoing toknowanythingabout
all of this,” she said. “Buthe’llfigure itout.”Don’tpegDurant asacocky rookiebent
on blazing his own trail around town, though. When he’s told that Bird hopes to
pass along thewisdom she has accumulated during her six years in town, Durant
smiles appreciatively. “Sue, she’s beenhere. She’s wonhere. I hope she can tellme
where everything is.”
Central toBird’songoingenjoyment of the city, and something she takespains to
impress uponDurant during their hours together, are thenumerous options avail-
able—whethernatural, cultural, orgastronomical. “Themoreyoudo, themoreyou
come to love thisplace,” shesays tohim. “Until youputyourselfout therea little, you
SueBirdandKevinDurant
maybe twoof thebright-
est stars in theSeattle sportsuniverse. Theymay enjoy
theadulationofmillions of fansworldwideandhave
fatNike-endorsement contracts. But on thisunusually
crispday, theyare indanger of becoming roadkill.
