Durant doesn't anticipate having much time off in the months ahead, and he figures that he'll spend whatever little downtime he has at the local movieplex. Still, he has already extended an open invitation to his former teammates at the University of Texas, and he relishes the idea of selling them on Seattle. "It was a family thing in Texas, and we're a family for life. If they come into town, we'll have something to eat and they'll come see the team," he says.

If Durant isn't up for hosting duty, there's no shortage of luxe hotels nearby. The W Seattle earns high marks for its urban style and spa facilities, while the Fairmont Olympic Hotel offers old-school luxury. Hotel Max, known in a prior incarnation as the Vance Hotel, boasts quirk to spare - in its artistic decor, multiple pillow choices, and "spiritual menu" (their words, not ours). "I hope [my former teammates] stay with me, though," Durant adds with a laugh. And then, with a half skip, he's back off to the court.

After having been poked and posed for the past two hours, Bird and Durant have more or less exhausted their small-talk allowances. But when they sit down together in the near-empty Key Arena for a few brief minutes, the back-and-forth flows freely. A quick question about clubs in the area - Bird points Durant toward the O'Asian and the futuristic Venom - leads to a  rather spirited debate about the best local pizza. Bird champions the pizza at Pagliacci, a Seattle mainstay. "It's got a thin crust, it's not heavy, and it's huge. Really good," she says. Durant looks semiconvinced.

When Bird repeats her best-burger-in-town recommendation, Durant, who polished off a four-inch-thick Dick's burger in roughly five bites during the first leg of the photo session, nods knowingly. Then, despite his claim that he knows little about the city's hot spots, Durant passes along a recommendation of his own: Seastar Restaurant in Bellevue, just outside Seattle.