Kevin Durant: Replying to online critics helps drive interest in NBA

It’s been more than eight years since members of NBA Twitter first discovered Kevin Durant using burner accounts on social media.

And while the 15-time All-Star has since owned up to the behavior, many still find themselves confused why someone so famous and successful would resort to posting from a faux account.

That includes Channing Crowder, who asked Durant why he felt compelled to use burner accounts during a recent appearance on The Pivot. According to the 37-year-old, the explanation is fairly straightforward, as he wanted to appear “stealth.”

“I didn’t want nobody to know that it was me,” Durant said.

@thepivot KD Talks About His Burner Accounts #kevindurant #twitter #nba #fyp #foryou ♬ original sound – The Pivot Podcast

Crowder pushed back, asking the Texas product, “why are you so worried what the man that’s living in his mama’s basement says about you?” Durant, however, defended his social media use while pushing back on the perception that he’s “too online.”

“When you look at the big picture, I really believe that these people that I might be sh*tting on sometimes, they enjoy these interactions. That might push them to buy some more NBA tickets or to order League Pass to subscribe to our game,” the 2-time NBA Finals MVP said. “I feel like if we all were a little bit more authentic with these responses, all of our games would grow. And I’m starting to see more and more players [doing it] now… every time I see a guy come out and just say something like that I’m like, ‘you know I inspired that just a little.”

In the years since Durant’s burner account was first discovered in 2017, he has remained plenty active online — he’s just primarily done it through his real account. And considering that his propensity for replying is now largely met with a positive reaction, it would be tough to argue with his perspective on the matter.