Kevin Durant did not appreciate Stephen A. criticizing his leadership skills.
Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith recently disagreed after the ESPN analyst criticized Durant’s ability to lead his team. Now, it looks like KD is on the warpath, as he delivered his strongest statement against Smith’s tirades.
Speaking to The Athletic, the Phoenix Suns superstar said that Stephen A. has never been around players or NBA teams yet when he’s on TV, he talks like he knows every single one of them like the palm on his hand.
“I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A.,” said KD. “I’ve been in the league for 18 years. I’ve never seen Stephen A. at a practice, or a film session, or a shoot-around. I’ve never seen him anywhere but on TV talking s**t about players. He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.”
SAS questioned KD’s ability to be a leader
After the Suns’ opening-night win over the L.A. Clippers, Smith criticized Durant as a leader. According to Smith, KD is one of the most talented players to ever play the game. However, he lacks the ability to bring out the best in his teammates.
Stephen A. did not mention what made him say that about Durant, although other personalities have questioned KD’s ability to lead. In that particular game against the Clippers, however, the Slim Reaper led the Suns in scoring with 25 points but did not have a single assist. During that game, Devin Booker scored just 15 points on nine shots, while KD took the most field goal attempts on the team with 17.
“I would disagree, Stephen,” Durant wrote on X to respond to Smith’s comments. “I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been on par with my talent.”
Stephen A. didn’t stop there
However, as he has been working in media for over three decades, Stephen A. insisted on his opinion and fired back at Durant. In his rebuttal, the ‘First Take’ host said he was merely talking about KD’s track record. He tried to soften his stance by mentioning that the 2014 MVP was ‘a bit more outspoken’ than usual on opening night,, which could be a sign of change. But Durant countered that he’s always been that guy.
“I’ve always been on this trajectory, of diving deep into the game, not just for myself but for the whole team,” added Durant. “To say that I’m just sitting here, you paint this picture of me coming into the locker room, not talking to my teammates, quiet, not talking to my coaches. Like, come on, man. It’s just ridiculous.”
Smith has always been one of the most outspoken NBA personalities around. He also recently had an issue with Boston Celtics superstar Jaylen Brown. JB recently appeared on Smith’s show to confront him. But if SAS thinks he can get Durant to be a guest on his program too, he is wrong because KD is known as a petty dude who enjoys replying to online trolls. You can add clowns to that too.