Kevin Durant has never been afraid to go toe-to-toe with media members in the past. So when Skip Bayless decided to call out Durant’s competitive mentality on Saturday, it didn’t take long for the 15-time All-Star to clap back.
On Saturday’s edition of The Skip Bayless Show, Bayless discussed the Phoenix Suns’ loss on Friday night to the Denver Nuggets, sharing his opinion that Durant looks “mentally semi-retired” in his eyes.
“The more I watch him at age 36, the more he looks mentally semi-retired to me,” said Bayless. “He is participating in a documentary that’s being made about his life and times. And it just feels to me like he is winding down his basketball (career). And it’s reflecting in the Suns’ win-loss record. Because they started off 8-1 this year. Since then, they have gone 20-31. They are 28-33 overall as we speak.
“That’s four games out of the play-in, even though Kevin is putting up tremendous numbers. Kevin Durant-style numbers. He’s averaging 27-6-4, shooting 53-percent from the floor and 40-percent from three. But they just don’t guard because they don’t seem to care. They look lifeless to me. They are the flip-side of the team at the top of the West’s standings. The team Kevin started with, that team is motivated to go places. The Phoenix Suns just look like they are done to me because Kevin looks like he is on his last mental legs. He’s not really into it the way he used to be into it when he went to Golden State. And now, to me, as gifted as he still is, Kevin is just going through the motions. And the Suns have set in the West.”
“The more I watch him at age 36, the more he [KD] looks mentally semi-retired to me.” pic.twitter.com/YmlIM6hNhe
— The Skip Bayless Show (@SkipBaylessShow) March 8, 2025
Durant, who saw the Bayless video on Sunday, responded on social media, joking that both he and Bayless are “washed.”
“F*** it, we’re both washed,” wrote Durant on X. It was a great run @SkipBayless.”
Fuck it, We’re both washed, it was a a great run @RealSkipBayless https://t.co/CVjqPSWWHH
— Kevin Durant (@KDTrey5) March 9, 2025
If we’re going on a scale of who between Durant or Bayless is more ” washed” or “semi-retired” in their respective profession, it certainly wouldn’t be the top-ten scorer in the NBA who would hold that distinction.
While the Suns obviously haven’t had the kind of season that most expected that they would, that certainly isn’t because of the play of Kevin Durant, who has been efficient as ever while averaging 26.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 4.3 assists on the year.
Meanwhile, Skip Bayless hasn’t been nearly as prominent in the sports media landscape since his split from FS1 last August. Not to mention the fact that Bayless embattled in a lawsuit featuring some damning allegations of sexual harassment against him.
Maybe this comment from Bayless will add fuel to the fire for Durant and the Suns, who are still 1.5 games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the final play-in spot. But either way, Durant clearly feels that Bayless is falling off in his media career just as much as Bayless believes Durant is in his NBA career.
