**HOUSTON** — Kevin Durant expressed serious concerns Monday night after discovering that a professional basketball reporter had apparently spent an entire basketball game watching him play basketball.
The alarming revelation came following Houston's 109–93 victory over Boston, during which Durant scored 12 points on just six field-goal attempts.
Houston Chronicle reporter Varun Shankar attempted to ask about Durant's unusually limited shooting opportunities, apparently unaware that observing a player's performance and asking questions about it had become controversial.
“Are you just watching me all game?” Durant demanded.
He also questioned whether the reporter had a dedicated camera following him, raising the possibility that professional sports journalism had somehow evolved into professional sports journalism.
Durant pointed out that Houston won comfortably and questioned why his shooting numbers deserved attention when teammate Jabari Smith Jr. had also experienced fluctuations in his scoring.
Shankar explained that Durant was the fifth-leading scorer in NBA history, a detail that apparently failed to justify monitoring his basketball activities.
Eventually, Durant provided a perfectly reasonable basketball explanation: Boston's defensive attention forced opponents to shade toward him, creating opportunities for teammates even when he wasn't shooting.
It was a thoughtful, accurate assessment that could have answered the original question approximately three minutes earlier.
The Rockets improved to 7–1, while Durant successfully defended his right to play basketball without journalists noticing how often he shoots.
The reporter eventually confirmed that he had, in fact, been watching Durant play basketball.
Sources indicate he intends to continue doing so throughout the season.
