Kein Durant has a true disdain for NBA talking heads.
He’s also terminally online.
Those two things have come to a head once more as he’s lashing out at ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, whom he calls a “clown” in a new interview.
First, let’s travel back to the Oct. 24 episode of First Take when Smith discussed Durant’s leadership abilities, or lack thereof when explaining why he didn’t see the Phoenix Suns as true contenders this season.
.@stephenasmith doesn’t have “much” belief in the Suns with KD as their superstar 👀
“I don’t question the greatness nor commitment of Kevin Durant. … When you are that great … you should be able to be a better leader than he has shown.” pic.twitter.com/0DTd5Vxvfh
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 24, 2024
Pretty soon after that video went up on X, Durant responded.
“I would disagree stephen. I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been on par with my talent,” Durant wrote.
After Saturday night’s win over the Portland Trail Blazers, the Suns star told The Athletic that he doesn’t really understand why anyone takes the First Take host seriously.
“Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A.,” he told The Athletic. “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— about players. … He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too.”
EXCLUSIVE: Kevin Durant is tired of Stephen A. Smith’s criticism of his leadership.
“You paint this picture of me coming into the locker room, not talking to my teammates, quiet, not talking to my coaches. … It’s just ridiculous.”
✍️ @DougHallerhttps://t.co/xYNLuFPEs5 pic.twitter.com/ui5Zj6r5Ko
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) November 3, 2024
“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,” he added. “Like, come on, man. It’s just ridiculous.”
To be fair, Smith isn’t the only talking head to have questioned his leadership skills. TNT’s Charles Barkley referred to Durant as a “follower” last season.
For his part, when first-year Phoenix Suns coach Mike Budenholzer was asked about Durant’s leadership on Saturday, he said the future Hall of Famer has been “off the charts” and praised him as a veteran voice in the locker room.
Plenty of players spoke up to defend the two-time NBA champion and 14-time All-Star as well.
“I’m glad my coaches and teammates got my back,” Durant said.
This is hardly the first time Durant and Smith have tangled. Back in 2022, the NBA star said Smith and Skip Bayless were bad for sports. Smith has poked fun at Durant’s podcast and his burner Twitter account controversy.
If he’s hoping this will quell Smith’s comments, Durant is deluding himself. If anything, these comments will only embolden the First Take host to talk about the topic even more. You’d think someone who spends as much time on social media as Durant would know better. Alas, he has the poster’s disease and is doomed to live out this cycle for the rest of his NBA career.
About Sean Keeley
Along with writing for Awful Announcing and The Comeback, Sean is the Managing Editor for Comeback Media. Previously, he created the Syracuse blog Troy Nunes Is An Absolute Magician and wrote 'How To Grow An Orange: The Right Way to Brainwash Your Child Into Rooting for Syracuse.' He has also written non-Syracuse-related things for SB Nation, Curbed, and other outlets. He currently lives in Seattle where he is complaining about bagels. Send tips/comments/complaints to sean@thecomeback.com.