Current:Home > ScamsKevin Durant fires back at Stephen A. Smith over ESPN's personality's criticism -SecurePath Capital
Kevin Durant fires back at Stephen A. Smith over ESPN's personality's criticism
View
Date:2025-04-20 01:41:50
Kevin Durant is tired of the criticism about his leadership.
Tired enough that the Phoenix Suns star clapped back at ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith in an interview with the Athletic that published Sunday.
"Yeah, Stephen A., I don’t understand how people even listen to Stephen A.," Durant told the Athletic Saturday night. "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 (expletive) about players. … He’s a clown to me. He’s always been a clown. You can write that, too."
The response follows a clip that Smith posted October 24 to his social media in which he dismissed the Suns as legitimate contenders, in large part over Durant’s leadership, saying "when you are that great ... you should be able to be a better leader than he has shown."
Durant responded to that post from his social media account, saying he would disagree.
All things Suns: Latest Phoenix Suns news, schedule, roster, stats, injury updates and more.
"I would argue, passionately, that my intangibles have always been on par with my talent," Durant wrote.
Durant told the Athletic he was the "same dude" when asked if he has been more vocal this year.
"Obviously, you grow as a human being, you get more comfortable with yourself, you get more comfortable talking to crowds as you experience more and more in the league," Durant said. "… I’ve always been on this trajectory, of diving deep into the game, not just for myself but for the whole team. 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."
Durant, 36, is averaging 25.8 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game this season. The Suns have raced out to a 5-1 start, which is tied for second place in the Western Conference, behind only the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast.Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
veryGood! (1253)
Related
- Jamie Foxx gets stitches after a glass is thrown at him during dinner in Beverly Hills
- Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan Respond to Criticism of Their 16-Year Age Gap
- Inside Chris Evans' Private Romance With Alba Baptista
- This Is Not a Drill: Save $60 on the TikTok-Loved Solawave Skincare Wand That Works in 5 Minutes
- Gen. Mark Milley's security detail and security clearance revoked, Pentagon says
- 5 takeaways from the front lines of the inflation fight
- How the Supreme Court's affirmative action ruling could impact corporate recruiting
- Warmer Temperatures May Offer California Farmers a Rare Silver Lining: Fewer Frosts
- B.A. Parker is learning the banjo
- Pentagon to tighten oversight of handling classified information in wake of leaks
Ranking
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- OceanGate suspends all exploration, commercial operations after deadly Titan sub implosion
- Luke Bryan Defends Katy Perry From Critics After American Idol Backlash
- Jennifer Lopez Sizzles in Plunging Wetsuit-Inspired Gown at The Flash Premiere
- Person accused of accosting Rep. Nancy Mace at Capitol pleads not guilty to assault charge
- U.S. opens new immigration path for Central Americans and Colombians to discourage border crossings
- A Federal Court Delivers a Victory for Sioux Tribe, Another Blow for the Dakota Access Pipeline
- New HIV case linked to vampire facials at New Mexico spa
Recommendation
The city of Chicago is ordered to pay nearly $80M for a police chase that killed a 10
No New Natural Gas: Michigan Utility Charts a Course Free of Fossil Fuels
What Would It Take to Turn Ohio’s Farms Carbon-Neutral?
Arizona secretary of state's office subpoenaed in special counsel's 2020 election investigation
Bodycam footage shows high
Musk asks in poll if he should step down as Twitter CEO; users vote yes
New HIV case linked to vampire facials at New Mexico spa
These could be some of the reasons DeSantis hasn't announced a presidential run (yet)