Known for speaking his mind, Kevin Durant has some blunt words for NBA media personality Stephen A. Smith, after he once again questioned KD’s leadership skills on the Suns.
Durant is fed up with the ideas of the SAS and seems to have spoken his mind in an interview with him Athletic published on Sunday.
“Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people listen to Stephen A.,” Durant told The Athletic on Saturday night. “I have been in the league for 18 years. I have never seen Stephen A. at a rehearsal, or a film session, or on set. I have never seen him anywhere except on TV talking (expletive) about players. … You are ridiculous to me. He has always been funny. You can write that too.”
KD’s comments were in response to a First Take social media clip late last month, in which he dismissed Phoenix as legitimate underdogs, largely because of what he saw as Durant’s lack of leadership.
“I don’t doubt the greatness and commitment of Kevin Durant,” Smith said at the time. “If you’re that good … you should be able to be a better leader than what you’ve shown.”
Durant responded to X at the time, “I disagreed with stephen. I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been in line with my talent”
.@stepenasmith he doesn’t have “much” faith in the Sun with KD as their star 👀
“I don’t doubt the greatness and commitment of Kevin Durant. … If you are that good … you should be able to be a better leader than what you have shown.” pic.twitter.com/0DTd5Vxvfh
– First Take (@FirstTake) October 24, 2024
Durant told The Athletic he’s “the same guy” when asked if he’s talked too much this year.
“Obviously you grow as a person, you get more comfortable with yourself, you get more comfortable talking to the crowd as you face more competition,” said Durant. “… I’ve always been in this way of going deep into the game, not just me but the whole team. That I just sit and paint this picture of me walking into the locker room without talking to my teammates and silently without talking to my coaches. Like, come on, man. It’s just funny.”
Smith will no doubt have an answer for Durant on Monday’s episode of First Take, so stay tuned.
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