GLMX #184: The Servant

For example, baseball great George Herman Ruth is known as "Babe" Ruth. The NBA's LeBron James is sometimes called "King James." Jason Terry is known as "JET", not only because those are his initials, but because of the airplane takeoff celebration routine he does after hitting a three-pointer on the basketball court. Jonathan Paul Manziel, the Texas A&M quarterback and Heisman trophy winner, is better known as "Johnny Football." The boxer, Muhammad Ali, dubbed himself, "the greatest."
 
Most people probably wouldn't recognize the name Eldrick Tont Woods because the world's number one golf player is known as "Tiger." The same thing goes for basketball player, Earvin Johnson, who is known as "Magic." "Air Jordan" is just one nickname that stuck to Michael Jordan, the man who is arguably the best basketball player of all time. And how can we forget "Linsanity" the nickname that describes not only the basketball player, Jeremy Lin, but the frenzied excitement that followed when Lin seemingly came out of nowhere to lead the New York Knicks in an amazing turn-around of their 2011-2012 NBA season.
 
So, what kind of nickname should be given to one of today's superstar basketball players -- Kevin Durant of the Oklahoma City Thunder? Some fans have called him the "Slim Reaper" or just "KD". But Kevin Durant says he wants to be known as "the Servant." He recently told an interviewer, "I like to serve everybody -- my teammates, ushers at the game, the fans. I know it's kinda weird to make your own nickname, but I like that one better."
 
As a follower of Jesus Christ, Kevin Durant may be taking his cues from his Lord and Savior, who said in Mark 10:45, "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister..."